December 3, 2024

Contents

• What We’re Watching
• Notable News
• This Week’s Legislation
• Upcoming Hearings
• Contact the Team

What We’re Watching

Congress 

This week, Congress will return to Washington, D.C. following the Thanksgiving recess. With only 12 joint legislative days left and government funding set to expire on December 20, Congress will have a packed schedule. Notably, the Farm Bill is set to expire on December 31 unless an extension can be passed before then.

Leadership Changes

Following concerns around House Agriculture Ranking Member David Scott’s (D-GA) health, two new members on the Committee have announced bids to run for the seat. Congressman Jim Costa (D-CA), who is the second in seniority, has announced he will once again challenge Ranking Member Scott for the seat. Most recently, Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) wrote a letter to colleagues requesting support for the Ranking Member seat. The letter states that she will “continue to champion our shared priorities, work with Republicans where possible and stand firm where needed.”

45Z Tax Credit

Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, Reps. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) and Mike Carey (R-OH) wrote a letter to Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Danny Werfel requesting that registrations under the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit program are completed by January 1, 2025. This comes after producers reported that they have not received the required registration letters, despite applying before the July 15 deadline. The letter states that delays are causing “confusion in the marketplace and stand to have a significant negative economic impact on clean fuel producers, transportation fleets, fuel marketers, farmers and other economic sectors.”

Separately, the House Ways and Means request for information from stakeholders regarding the 45Z tax credit remains open until Dec. 13. Click here for more information and directions on how to submit a response. 

Administration

New Appointments Announced

President-elect Trump announced a number of new administration nominations over the past week. Most notably, he has announced Brooke Rollins as his pick for Secretary of Agriculture. Rollins is the President and CEO of the America First Institute and was the previous Director of the Domestic Policy Council during the first Trump administration. She has experience running the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and a degree in agricultural development from Texas A&M.

Additionally, he announced Doctor Marty Makary to be the FDA Commissioner. Makary specializes in surgical oncology and is Chief of Islet Transplant Surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He also holds an appointment at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. His research focuses on the underlying causes of disease, vulnerable populations, and the appropriateness of care. 

Trump has also nominated Jameison Greer as U.S. Trade Representative. Greer was the Chief of Staff under Robert Lighthizer, who was the U.S. Trade Representative during the first Trump administration, and helped negotiate trade deals with China. In a statement, Trump said that “Jamieson will focus the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on reining in the Country’s massive Trade Deficit, defending American Manufacturing, Agriculture, and Services, and opening up Export Markets everywhere.”

Trump Announces Tariff Plans for Day One of Presidency

On November 25, President-elect Trump announced via his Truth Social platform that on his first day in office he would impose a 25% tariff on all products from Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China. The announcement also raised concerns over illegal immigration and the importation of illicit drugs. There are still a lot of details yet to be known, and it remains unclear if this is a negotiating tactic for Canada and Mexico to renegotiate the USMCA trade agreement in 2026. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico would retaliate by putting tariffs on U.S. corn growers, milk and pork exporters.

USDA Raises Forecast for FY25 Trade Deficit

The USDA has projected that the agricultural trade deficit will widen in fiscal year 2025 to $45.5 billion, the largest on record and an increase from the August quarterly forecast. Agriculture exports are set to fall from $174.4 billion last year, to $170 billion, and imports are projected to increase to $215.5 billion in FY2025, up from $206.2 billion in FY2024. Beef, dairy, corn, sorghum and fruit and vegetable exports are among the products revised upwards on the previous estimate.

FDA Publishes RFI on Food Date Labeling

The FDA and FSIS has published a joint request for information on food date labeling, seeking information on industry practices and preferences for date labeling, research results on consumer perceptions of date labeling, and any impact date labeling may have on food waste. It is a 60-day comment period. 

EPA Revokes Most Chlorpyrifos Use

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed rule to revoke all use of chlorpyrifos, except for use with 11 crops, including alfalfa, apple, asparagus, tart cherry, citrus, cotton, peach, soybean, strawberry, sugar beets and spring/winter wheat in certain states. A prepublication copy of the rule can be found here. Once posted in the Federal Register, there will be a 60-day comment period. 

Notable News

• How RFK Jr. Could Shake Up the Food Industry – Food Dive
• ‘A Once-In-a-Lifetime Opportunity’: The World’s Fight to Curb Plastic Waste – Washington Post
• Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy: The DOGE Plan to Reform Government – Wall Street Journal
• Avocados, Tequila and Other Iconic Mexican Products are Jeopardized by Trump’s Tariff Threats – ABC News
• Huge Wave of House Members Eyes 2026 Exits – Axios
• The Great Grocery Squeeze – The Atlantic

This Week’s Legislation

• Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA) and Scott Peters (D-CA) introduced the Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act, which requires the FDA implement warning labels for junk foods, ban junk food advertisements targeting children, and directs the NIH to expand research programs on the health effects of ultra-processed foods.
• Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) introduced the American Manufacturing Renaissance Act, to develop and monitor a national manufacturing strategy, to identify and address supply chain weaknesses and identify and address obstacles to inclusion and align manufacturing with strategic opportunities and imperatives.
•  Rep. John Curtis (R-UT) introduced a bill to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to amend certain regulations for purposes of the renewable fuel program.

Upcoming Hearings

Thursday, December 5 

• 9:30 AM ET: The Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight will hold hearings to examine the “Public Health Impacts of PFAS Exposures.” 
• 10:00 AM ET: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing on “What the FDA is Doing to Reduce the Diabetes and Obesity Epidemics in America, Focusing on the Food and Beverage Industry.” 

Contact the Team

Feel free to contact Michael Torrey, Tara Smith, Cassandra Kuball, Barbara Patterson, Katie Naessens, Julie McClure, Nona McCoy, Danielle Nelson, Ashley Smith, Olivia Lucanie, Caroline Snell, Heath Brandt, Tracy Boyle, or Grace Walker with any questions or comments.

Food and agricultural organizations that need the right results in Washington, D.C. can trust Torrey Advisory Group to put its relationships, reputation, and expertise to work on your issue. Since 2005, the firm has successfully provided legislative and regulatory guidance, issues management, and association management services to a wide variety of clients. Learn more about us at torreydc.com.