Senate
Grassley safe for re-election, aids GOP goal of keeping Senate majority
Democrats' chances of defeating Senate Judiciary chair Charles Grassley, a longtime Agriculture Committee member, were never great and are fading like the shortening days of autumn, says Sabato's Crystal Ball. "With Trump now positioned as a slight favorite to win the Hawkeye State, there is no sign that Grassley is in any danger," says the political website, rating the race as "safe Republican."
Pompeo, foe of GMO labels, won’t say no to Senate race
Conservative Rep. Mike Pompeo, sponsor of the House-passed bill to pre-empt state GMO label laws, is declining to say if he will run for the Senate in Kansas against fellow Republican and incumbent Jerry Moran.
Election-year finger-pointing as Senate rejects GMO pre-emption bill
In a vote with election-year implications, the Senate rejected a bill to pre-empt state GMO food-labeling laws in a roll call that broke along party-lines, highlighted by maneuvering by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to allow a new vote later.
Timing of tax ‘extenders’ bill uncertain, says Senate leader
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he wants to enact a tax "extenders" bill in a timely way, but did not suggest a likely course of action during a news conference, reports Agri-Pulse.
White House objects to USDA-FDA funding levels and riders
The USDA-FDA appropriations bill awaiting a vote in the Senate "short-changes food safety needs" and "under-funds efforts to address the challenge of child poverty" while carrying harmful "ideological provisions," said the White House budget office.
Senate chairman asks for antitrust review of JBS-Cargill deal
Senate Judiciary chairman Charles Grassley asked the Justice Department for an antitrust review of an agreement for JBS, the giant Brazilian meatpacker, to buy the pork operations of agribusiness rival Cargill for $1.45 billion.
Toss-up Senate races in Arkansas and Iowa
Political analyst Stuart Rothenberg says in a Roll Call blog the Senate race in Arkansas involving the chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee for agriculture, Democrat Mark Pryor, is a "dead heat, though with (Republican Tom) Cotton holding a small advantage."
Senate budget proposal targets food stamps indirectly
The fiscal 2016 budget resolution proposed by Senate Budget chairman Mike Enzi calls for large cuts in discretionary spending outside of the military, which could include food stamps, but does not specifically ask for cuts in the farm program. During committee debate, Democrat Debbie Stabenow said 400 farm, conservation, anti-hunger and rural-development groups were on record against any cuts beyond the $23 billion required by the 2014 farm law.
Premium cap on crop insurance could hurt enrollment-Vilsack
The Senate proposal to place a $50,000 cap on premium subsidies for farmers buying crop insurance "could potentially impact participation" in the program, says Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The government pays an average of 62 cents of each $1 of premium, although the subsidy rate is as high as 80 percent on some policies. During a tele-conference, Vilsack said, "We don't want to go back to the days of ad hoc (disaster relief) legislation. That could potentially be much more expensive."
Moran is chair of Senate panel on USDA and FDA funding
Kansas Sen Jerry Moran is chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture for the next two years. "Subcommittee memberships are being determined and will be announced as soon as possible," said the Appropriations...
Senate sends $41 billion tax extenders bill to White House
The Senate passed, 76-16, and sent to President Obama a retroactive one-year revival of four dozen tax incentives that expired at the start of this year.
Waiting for Senate to vote on tax extenders package
The so-called tax extenders package, to retroactively revive more than 50 tax breaks for 2014, may be one of the last items of business for the Senate this week.
Senate may vote this week on Section 179 tax break
The Senate is expected "in the coming days to restore more than 50 tax breaks, all of which expired at the end of 2013, just through the end of this year," including the Section 179 business expensing provision, says The Hill newspaper.
Do immigration piecemeal, says incoming Senate chairman
The incoming chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says the Senate ought to take the same approach to immigration reform as the House - do it one piece at a time rather than assemble a comprehensive bill. "A provision dealing with just agriculture would pass Congress easily," Iowa Sen Chuck Grassley told reporters but action on popular items is stalled by advocates of a full-spectrum approach.
Let House go first on immigration reform, says key senator
The incoming chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says he'll let the House move first on immigration reform in the new session of Congress. "That way, we wouldn't be wasting our time," said Sen Chuck Grassley of Iowa. The Senate passed a comprehensive immigration bill, including a separate path to citizenship for farm workers, after weeks of divisive debate in 2013.
California water bill runs dry in Congress
Congressional efforts to provide drought relief to California farmers are dead for this year, according to Sen Dianne Feinstein, says the Associated Press.
Senate confirms Mensah to run USDA rural development wing
The Senate confirmed Lisa Mensah as agriculture undersecretary for rural development. Mensah was among a dozen administration nominees confirmed on a voice vote on Thursday afternoon.
Roberts says “not productive…to open up the farm bill”
Kansas Senator Pat Roberts, who expects to chair the Agriculture Committee beginning in January, told National Journal, "It is not productive at all to open up the farm bill."
Cattle reformers in Senate unite on price discovery bill
In order to increase market transparency, four senators said on Tuesday they would file legislation to require meatpackers to buy a portion of their slaughter cattle on the cash market. The bill also would create a contract library that discloses the purchase terms that packers offer for cattle, so producers might know if a fair price is being offered.