Rebekah Alvey

House GOP leaders were left searching for a way to avoid a government shutdown after the House soundly rejected the latest stopgap spending bill. FDA food chief sees some alignment with RFK, while senators form a MAHA caucus.

The Food and Drug Administration has released a long-awaited final rule updating its definition of “healthy” foods. 

The future of $31 billion in disaster relief and economic assistance for farmers was in doubt  night after Elon Musk and then, Donald Trump, threatened the political future of any Republicans who voted for the 1,500-page bill that contains the funding. The Senate cleared a water resources bill intended to increase funding for inland waterway projects.

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.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, is on Capitol Hill this week and reassured one key senator that he has an appreciation for U.S. agriculture. 

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.

Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig was elected Tuesday as the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, giving her the responsibility of leading her party on farm policy in a new Congress controlled by Republicans who may try to slash spending and roll back the Biden administration's climate agenda. 

The House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee voted Monday to recommend Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig to take over as ranking member of the Agriculture Committee in 2025, unseating the party’s current leader, David Scott.

Over the weekend, farm groups quickly mobilized to demand congressional leaders end a partisan impasse and reach a deal on a package of economic assistance to include in year-end legislation.

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.