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Senate Republicans on Wednesday elected South Dakota Sen. John Thune, who has a deep background in agriculture policy, as the chamber's next majority leader. Thune, who is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and currently holds the No. 2 GOP role as minority whip, defeated Texas Sen. John Cornyn on the second ballot.

Senate Republicans are slated to pick their new party leadership this morning in a closed-door, secret ballot election.  

Congressional Republicans are likely to move quickly to carry out President-elect Donald Trump’s top legislative priority by extending expiring tax provisions and enacting new tax cuts, and some farm bill measures could go along for the ride.

Lee Zeldin, who served as a congressman from Long Island for eight years before leaving to run a tight but unsuccessful race for governor of New York in 2022, is likely to be the next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

A possible relief package for farmers is in play as lawmakers return to Washington the first time since Donald Trump's sweeping victory, and Senate Republicans are set to elect a leader who will be critical to carrying out the president-elect's legislative agenda.

Kip Tom, who leads President-elect Donald Trump’s ag coalition, says he expects the transition team to move much more quickly to fill cabinet positions. Whether Tom is going to be in it, perhaps as agriculture secretary, remains to be seen. He served as U.S. ambassador to the UN agriculture and food programs during the first Trump administration.

The speculation season has begun, with several names being floated for Agriculture Secretary in a new Trump administration. Leading the pack: Kip Tom, a former Ambassador to the United Nations, Indiana farmer and a leader of Trump’s ag coalition who celebrated Trump’s victory at Mar-a-Lago last night.

Along the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump had vowed to repeal parts of the Biden administration's landmark climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act. Now facing a second Trump administration, industry groups are hopeful broad bipartisan support for biofuels and conservation programs in Congress means these initiatives will remain in place. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Wednesday he will play a significant role in the Trump administration, floating the idea that he would be a “health czar” operating out of the White House. He also indicated he wanted to use his role to push for adoption of regenerative ag practices. 

Donald Trump has reclaimed the presidency, and Republicans will take charge of the Senate in January. Those results have big implications for a lot of issues, including trade and immigration as well as tax and regulatory policy that are critical to agriculture.