Weekly Food & Agriculture Update 6.11

Monday, June 11th, 2018

WEEKLY FOOD & AGRICULTURE UPDATE

June 11, 2018

A quick look at what’s happening in Washington, D.C. that’s impacting food and agriculture. If you would like to subscribe to the receive the updates right to your inbox, please contact Marissa Dake. 

Big Picture Outlook

  • Schedule- The House and Senate remain in session this week. On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that he would cancel most of the August recess so the chamber could catch-up on considering nominees and the appropriations process.
  • Roberts, Stabenow Debut Bipartisan Farm Bill-  On Friday, the Senate Ag Committee released legislative text for the 2018 Farm Bill along with a section-by-section summary of the bill. Organizations, companies, and other stakeholders are analyzing the text, which will be considered in committee on Wednesday at 9:30.
  • What to Watch in the Farm Bill– Politico reported on some of the Senate farm bill’s provisions. Notably, the measure also adds $100 million the Margin Protection Program for milk producers, changing its name to the Dairy Risk Coverage Program. The bill doesn’t make any major changes to SNAP like its counterpart in the House, an issue that will likely dominate the conversation in a potential conference. Read more about the bill here.
  • Agriculture, Dairy Get Shoutout at G7– In a press conference after the G7 Summit President Trump said that unfair trade barriers are hurting American farmers and dairy farmers. According to the President, the U.S. pays a 270 percent tariff to Canada on dairy products. Trump refused to sign the G-7 joint agreement that covered a range of economic and foreign policy goals.
  • Accurate Labels Act Features “Smart Labels”– On Thursday, Senator Moran (R-KS) and Reps. Kinzinger (R-IL) and Schrader (D-OR) introduced the Accurate Labels Act. The measure would amend the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act to establish science-based criteria for all additional state and local labeling requirements, allow product information to be provided through “smart labels” and on websites, and ensure that covered product information is risk-based.

Nominations & Confirmations

  • Annemarie Axon, Robert Wier, and Fernando Rodriguez, Jr. have been confirmed as United States District Judge for the Northern District of Alabama, Eastern District of Kentucky, and Southern District of Texas, respectively.
  • Kenneth Marcus to be the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education.

The Week Ahead

Tuesday, June 12
  • The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior and Environment will markup their appropriations bill.
Wednesday, June 13
  • The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry will consider the 2018 Farm Bill at 9:30am.
  • Senate Environment and Public Works will hold a hearing to examine innovation and America’s infrastructure, focusing on the effects of emerging autonomous technologies.
Thursday, June 14
  • Senate Appropriations will hold a full committee markup on the the Interior and Environment FY19 bill.
  • The House Committee on Small Business will host a hearing on Shrinking the Skills Gap: Solutions to the Small Business Workforce Shortage.

MTA In Action
Highlights in the week ahead for Michael Torrey Associates

  • AFBIS Crop Insurance Conference- Tara Smith is in Boise, Idaho this week as a presenter for American Farm Bureau Insurance Service’s 70th Annual Crop Insurance Conference.

A Quick Look Back

Pertinent Timing Ticker

111 total days until the farm bill expires (Sep. 30, 2018).