February 3, 2026

Contents

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

What We’re Watching

Congress 

Appropriations 

On Friday, the Senate passed a modified funding package for the remaining FY26 appropriations bills which also included a two-week continuing resolution for Department of Homeland Security budget, allowing more time for lawmakers to negotiate on further reforms for Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). This week, the government is in a partial shutdown until the House votes to pass both the funding package and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extension. On Monday evening, the House Rules Committee voted on and passed the rule for consideration of the package, teeing up votes for Tuesday afternoon. It remains unclear if Speaker Johnson (R-LA) has the votes he needs to get the bill fully passed and sent to the White House. The Freedom Caucus has been firmly opposed to renegotiating on DHS, while Democrat votes are fluid and it’s unclear if there will be enough support to offset potential GOP defections. Even if the bill passes today, it is possible there could be some time before the funding package is enacted into law. 

Farm Bill

House Agriculture Chair GT Thompson (R-PA) has indicated he will be looking to hold a farm bill markup on February 25, though the date is still tentative. Sometimes referred to as the “skinny farm bill” or “farm bill 2.0,” this bill might not include all the typical farm bill titles since several titles were already included in the Republicans’ reconciliation package.  

Ag Committee Leadership Changes 

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) has filed to run for Governor in Minnesota. She is the current Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, potentially making Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) next in line to be the next Ranking Member. However, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) could choose to return to the Committee and use her seniority to claim the post, or if Sherrod Brown (D-OH) wins his election, his seniority on the Ag Committee would allow him to be a contender for the position.   

Senators Write Letter on WOTUS 

Senate Democrats wrote a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin and Assistant Secretary of the Army Adam Telle opposing the new Waters of the United States (WOTUS) draft rule proposed by the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The letter argues that this administration’s proposed rule would cause EPA and USACE to fail to meet Congress’s mandate, and that the rule will improperly exclude “from federal jurisdiction many discharges that are functionally equivalent to discharges into jurisdictional waters.” The full letter, which was led by Senate Environment and Public Works Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Adam Schiff (D-CA), can be found here.

Administration

President Trump Visits Iowa, Discusses E15 

Last week, President Donald Trump visited Clive, Iowa to deliver remarks about the economy, affordability, and the midterm elections. He highlighted many of the tax provisions enacted through H.R. 1, as well as the success of tariffs and the new Farmer Bridge Assistance Program to provide aid to producers who are struggling due to tariffs, high production costs, and low prices. Notably, he spent time talking about his support for E15, saying he trusts Congress to approve year-round E15 nationwide. 

USTR Signs Agreement on Reciprocal Trade Deals with El Salvador and Guatemala 

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) signed their respective Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) deals with the countries of El Salvador and Guatemala. These agreements are to “complement” the rights and obligations, including market access for U.S. goods, under the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), which El Salvador and Guatemala are both signatories. The new agreements codify the new 10 percent reciprocal rates for imports by both countries but allows for goods that qualify for rules of origin under CAFTA-DR to be exempt from baseline tariffs along with maintaining tariff exemptions on dozens of agricultural products as granted by an Executive Order in November 2025. The most significant wins for U.S. food and agriculture exports, which have been steadily growing to the region, came in the form of reduced non-tariff barriers including recognition of the U.S. food and agricultural control system and acceptance of certifications by U.S. regulatory authorities.   

USDA Forest Service Issues Oil and Gas Leasing Rule 

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum publicly announced that the USDA Forest Service finalized revisions to its regulation governing federal oil and gas resources on National Forest System lands. The final rule updates and streamlines federal oil and gas leasing procedures, allowing the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to coordinate on permits. The rule comes following the Trump administration Executive Orders on eliminating burdensome regulations and to increase American energy production. The release can be found here.  

USDA Freezes Grants for Biodigesters and Controlled Environment Agriculture 

The USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service issued a memo that loan guarantees for projects involving biodigesters and controlled environment agriculture (CEA) will be paused for 90 days while RBCS evaluates the portfolio. According to RBCS Administrator J.R. Claeys, the pause comes as these projects have faced a high loan delinquency rate and to address the increase in biodigester and CEA applications for loans through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). 

Notable News 

• A Landscape of Agricultural Innovation: Solutions, Investment, and Policy Actions
  – Environmental Defense Fund
• Is a Cookie a Type of Candy? Supermarkets Have a New Food-Stamp Conundrum – Wall Street Journal
• US International Trade in Goods and Services, November 2025 Report – Department of Commerce
• Restaurant industry leaders push for ICE reforms in letters to Congress – Twin Cities Pioneer Press
• RFK Jr.’s MAHA movement becomes wild card for GOP in 2026 – The Hill
• ADM Settles Accounting Probe, Tyson Settles Price Fixing Claims – Farm Policy News Illinois
• Governor Abbott declares disaster to combat screwworm fly threat in Texas – Fox14
• Two companies made dried milk powder linked to botulism in ByHeart baby formula – Associated Press 

This Week’s Legislation

• Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Jon Husted (R-OH) introduced the Delivering for Rural Seniors Act, which would establish a grant pilot program to help deliver Commodity Supplemental Food Program boxes to low-income seniors at home, prioritizing rural communities.
• Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced the Santini-Burton Modernization Act to allow USFS to use Santini-Burton Act funds to manage public lands in the Tahoe Basin. 
• Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced a bill requiring the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of constructing a project to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water to the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System service area in the States of South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota. 
• Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Reps. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME) introduced a resolution to designate 2026 as the “International Year of the Woman Farmer.” The resolution was passed by the Senate. 
• Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the Opportunities in Organic Act to help farmers and other producers transition to organic practices. 
• Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) introduced the Water Security and Drought Resilience Act to reauthorize the IIJA’s Small Storage Program and create a grant program for natural water retention and release projects that are designed to increase water availability. 

Upcoming Hearings

 Tuesday, February 3 

• 10:15 AM: The House Natural Resources Committee will hold an oversight hearing titled “Fix Our Forests: The Need for Urgent Action One Year After the L.A. Wildfires.”
• 10:15 AM: The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy will hold a hearing titled “Oversight of FERC: Advancing Affordable and Reliable Energy for All Americans.”
• 10:30 AM: The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration will hold a hearing featuring the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General. 

Wednesday, February 4 

• 2:30 PM: The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights will hold a hearing on “Fighting Fraud in Minnesota and Beyond.” 

Thursday, February 5 

• 10:00 AM: The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing titled “On Track for Secure Retirement: Examining the Success of the Railroad Retirement Board.” 

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 Sowinski, Eden Lambert, 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.