Republicans

Democrat Alison Grimes faulted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for missing many Agriculture Committee hearings and for not being one of the negotiators who wrote the 2014 farm law, says the Associated Press.

Minnesota Republicans say they have the best chance in years of defeating 12-term incumbent Collin Peterson, the Democrat leader on the House Agriculture Committee.

Republicans Rodney Davis of Illinois and David Valadao of California are in stronger position for re-election, according to revised Rothenburg Political Report/Roll Call ratings.

The junior member of the House Agriculture Committee, Vance McAllister, "has suddenly, improbably, become the man to beat this November," says Roll Call.

Mission: Readiness, composed of retired military officers, plans to lobby lawmakers against a school lunch waiver when Congress re-convenes after Labor Day, says Politico.

Second-term Rep Scott DesJarlais, a House Agriculture Committee member, had a 33-vote lead with all precincts reporting in his Tennessee congressional district, a razor-thin margin in a race that may not be decided until the month, said the Associated Press.

Sen Pat Roberts, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, won the Republican nomination for his fourth term, beating Tea Party challenger Milton Wolf, 48-41.

Lawmakers and advocates on both sides of the issue say immigration reform "is effectively dead and unlikely to be revived until after President Obama leaves office," said the Washington Post.

Rep Luis Gutierrez, long active on immigration reform legislation in the House, "declared the prospects for reform dead this year and said the only option left is for President Barack Obama to take unilateral action to stem deportations," says Politico.

Six-term incumbent Thad Cochran, the Republican leader on the Senate Agriculture Committee, won the GOP run-off in Mississippi by 2 percentage points over state Sen Chris McDaniel, a Tea Party favorite.

Only 7 percent of Americans believe the U.S. immigration system is "generally working," says a survey by the Brookings Institution and the Public Religion Research Institute.

By Tuesday night, former Rep Ronnie Childers "could suddenly become one of the party’s vitally important Senate candidates for 2014 – and a rare Democratic nominee who clashes sharply with his national...

The $84 billion tax "extenders" bill was shelved, at least temporarily, by a GOP filibuster. A motion to limit debate on the bill failed 53-40 with 60 votes needed for passage. Republicans said they were not getting enough chances to offer amendments. An energy efficiency bill was derailed early this week for the same reasons.

Speaking to law enforcement groups, President Obama said there is a "narrow window" of time for passage of an immigration reform law before election-year politics become paramount. "So we've got maybe a window of two, three months to get the ball rolling in the House of Representatives."

Some House Republicans are "looking at including language in the fiscal 2015 spending bill to potentially halt key school nutrition regulations for increased whole-grain requirements and competitive foods restrictions, which are set to kick in this July," says Politico.

House Speaker Boehner told fellow Republicans there was no "conspiracy" to move an immigration reform bill this summer, says Roll Call.

Florida Republican Mario Diaz-Balart tells Roll Call that the campaign for immigration reform is picking up momentum in the House.

Speaker John Boehner faulted his fellow House Republicans as unwilling to act on immigration reform during a speech to a service club in his Ohio district, says the Cincinnati Enquirer.