Lydia Johnson

President-elect Donald Trump’s selection for agriculture secretary, Brooke Rollins, told Agri-Pulse Wednesday her meetings with senators this week have been "extremely productive" and highlighted the regional and bipartisan nature of farm policy.

Farm groups have a lot to cheer in the massive year-end funding bill that congressional leaders finally released Tuesday evening. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson wants to take up a new farm bill early in 2025, and he says he's encouraging farm groups to "relax" about RFK Jr.

Washington Rep. Dan Newhouse, a member of the Appropriations Committee, and five newly elected Republicans will join the House Agriculture Committee in January to fill seats vacated by committee departures on the GOP side.

Congressional leaders were nailing down the final details of a stopgap spending bill Monday night that was expected to include $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers, as well as a one-year farm bill extension, sources tell Agri-Pulse.

The chairman of the House Ways and Means subcommittee that handles trade policy says he’s concerned about the U.S. becoming embroiled in tit-for-tat tariff escalations that could lead to ag producers facing new duties. 

Lawmakers continue what’s described as “intense negotiations” over what’s going to be included with a one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill. It’s not clear yet that GOP leaders will agree to add a package of market relief for farmers.

The industry-funded promotion, research and information program will be open to a vote and if approved, overseen by an 11-member board. 

There’s been a lot of speculation about the kind of leader Brooke Rollins would be as ag secretary, so we talked with a couple of men who know her well. One is Drew DeBerry, a government affairs consultant at Axis Strategies, who first met Rollins when she worked for then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Democrats on the House Ag Committee are starting to line up behind the candidates seeking to be the panel’s ranking member. Reps. Angie Craig, D-Minn., and Jim Costa, D-Calif., are challenging Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., for the minority’s top spot.