Donald Trump
White House suggests 20 percent tax on Mexico, top U.S. food supplier
Trump likely to seek deep EPA cuts, says former transition official
Federal employees go rogue on Twitter and Trump backs off EPA’s climate change web page
Federal employees from more than a dozen U.S. departments are tweeting climate change and other scientific information under unofficial Twitter accounts in a move against the climate-skeptical Trump administration, says Reuters.
While ordering a wall, Trump says U.S. will ‘repatriate illegal aliens swiftly’
Fulfilling a signature promise of his campaign, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and "to repatriate illegal aliens swiftly, consistently and humanely." More than one-half of farm workers are believed to be undocumented; the largest U.S. farm group said lawmakers might be more willing to discuss immigration reform if border security is strengthened.
EPA told to remove agency web page on climate change
The Trump administration has told EPA officials to remove the agency's Internet page on climate change, says Reuters, "the latest move by the newly minted leadership to erase ex-President Barack Obama's climate change initiatives."
EPA scientists will face Trump scrutiny says transition team leader
Doug Ericksen, head of communications for President Trump's EPA transition team, says that during the transition period, agency scientists will have their work vetted on a “case by case” basis before it can be published and dispersed outside the agency.
In three-way NAFTA talks, it may be none for all
Canadian government sources say Ottawa will defend its interests first and may not be able to help Mexico during the NAFTA renegotiations demanded by President Trump, reported Reuters. It quoted a source on the sidelines of a cabinet retreat as saying, "Our national interests come first and the friendship comes second."
USDA will have one voice – Trump’s – when it answers policy questions
From now on, a cadre of Trump transition officials will decide key Agriculture Department actions, from budget and regulations to press releases and statements of policy, says a memo that routes major issues through the headquarters. The man temporarily in charge of USDA, career civil servant Michael Young, said the memo is similar to one issued in the first days of the Obama administration and is intended to assure a consistent message from a far-flung department.
Trump greenlights Keystone and Dakota Access pipeline projects
Fulfilling campaign promises, President Donald Trump signed memorandums that would lead to U.S. approval of the 1,100-mile Keystone crude oil pipeline and to completion of the Dakota Access pipeline from the Bakken and Three Forks oilfields of North Dakota. He also signed memos to encourage use of U.S. steel in pipelines and to speed up approval of domestic manufacturing plants and to expedite environmental review and approval of high-priority infrastructure projects, said a White House release.
Gov. Jerry Brown says California will fight climate change in face of Trump administration
Without mentioning President Trump by name, Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown made clear in his state of the state address that California is prepared to fight the new administration over key issues, including climate change and immigration.
Trump nixes TPP in favor of bilateral pacts; farm groups fear loss of exports
The White House declared "a new era of U.S. trade policy in which the Trump administration will pursue bilateral trade opportunities with allies" following its withdrawal from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact. Farm groups, whose members voted by a landslide for President Donald Trump, called for protection against loss of farm exports due to the change in focus.
These seven states are ground zero for the public-lands fight
As the Trump administration settles into the White House, seven states are hoping for dramatic changes in the federal government's public-lands policy, reports E&E News, offering analysis of each state. Alaska, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming, which together contain 60 percent of U.S. public lands, are set to be battlegrounds for environmentalists, landowners, ranchers and oil companies.
Immigration high on Trump’s list for congressional action
President Donald Trump "has already started to work with Congress" for funding to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, said White House press secretary Sean Spicer. At his first White House news briefing, Spicer listed immigration reform among four items for immediate congressional action while the administration gives first priority to deportation of undocumented immigrants with a criminal record or who pose a security risk.
Negotiations with Canada and Mexico over NAFTA to begin soon, says Trump
President Donald Trump plans to meet the leaders of Canada and Mexico soon "to start renegotiating on NAFTA, on immigration and on security at the border," reported Reuters. After China, the U.S. neighbors are the top markets for U.S. farm exports, forecast to buy 29 percent of ag exports and be the source of 44 percent of U.S. agricultural imports, so farm groups want to avoid adverse effects of reworked rules.
Pruitt says will enforce RFS, doesn’t rule out waivers
EPA nominee Scott Pruitt told senators that he would enforce the federal mandate to blend biofuels into the U.S. gasoline supply, reserving the right to adjust the Renewable Fuels Standard to reflect market conditions. Newly elected Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth said the "nice-sounding but ultimately vague" answer could allow him to gut the program, popular in farm country and hated by the oil industry.
Trump administration erases climate change from White House website
The Trump administration has removed nearly all mention of climate change from the White House website, says Reuters, while publishing a call for increased energy development and fewer environmental regulations.
Activists, farm groups try to weave their goals into Perdue’s agenda at USDA
New York businessman Donald Trump, who becomes president today, said he expects his nominee for agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue, to accomplish great things at USDA. Farm groups, antihunger activists and the food movement have a formula for success for Perdue: Do things our way.
Bayer plans large R&D spending if Trump administration approves takeover of Monsanto
The executives who want to create the largest seed and ag chemical company in the world told President-elect Donald Trump that they would spend at least $16 billion over six years on agricultural research in the United States if regulators approve Bayer's purchase of Monsanto.
Trump and Vance oppose funding bill that includes farm aid
President-elect Donald Trump called for a “streamlined spending bill” that also increases the federal debt ceiling on Wednesday as a replacement for the three-month government funding bill that congressional leaders produced the preceding day. That bill included $10 billion to offset a decline in farm income and $21 billion in disaster relief for agriculture.