January 30, 2023

Contents

• Big Picture Overview
• The Week Ahead
• A Quick Look Back
• Contact the Team

Big Picture Overview

Congressional Update

Committee assignments for the 118th Congress continue to be announced in both chambers. Last week, House Ag Committee released their roster for the 118th Congress. For the full list of Republicans, click here. For the full list of Democrats, click here. The final count of seats on the Committee is 28 Republicans and 24 Democrats, with three seats yet to be assigned. In the Senate, Democrats have also announced a preliminary list of committee assignments, click here to view the full list. New additions to the Senate Ag Committee include Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) and Senator John Fetterman (D-PA). 

House Ag Committee Chairman GT Thompson (R-PA-15) announced several changes to the subcommittee structure, including combining foreign agriculture and nutrition policy. With the shift, livestock policy will be considered in a standalone subcommittee. In addition, forestry will be considered in a separate subcommittee, moving conservation to a subcommittee with research and biotechnology. The full list of subcommittees is as follows: 

• Commodity Markets, Digital Assets and Rural Development 
• Forestry 
• Conservation, Research and Biotechnology 
• General Farm Commodities, Risk Management and Credit 
• Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture and Horticulture 
• Livestock, Dairy and Poultry 

Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR) are planning the following farm bill hearings for the Senate Ag Committee: 

• February 1 – Trade and Horticulture 
• February 9 – Commodity Programs, Crop Insurance and Credit 
• February 16 – Nutrition Programs 
• March 1 – Conservation and Forestry Programs 

Executive Branch Update

With an expected update tomorrow on FDA’s “new vison” for the future of food programs based on the Regan-Udall review and news of the resignation of Frank Yiannas as Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-3) have written a letter to FDA urging for reform within the leadership structure, including separating the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), therefore creating the ‘Center for Food Safety’ and a ‘Center for Nutrition. Click here to read the full letter obtained by Politico.  

Also last week, Agriculture Deputy Secretary, Dr. Jewel Bronaugh, announced that in the coming weeks she will be stepping down from her position to spend more time with her family. Bronaugh is a former Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the first person of color to hold the USDA Deputy Secretary role. 

This week, President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20) will meet to discuss the debt ceiling. This meeting is occurring as the Treasury Department is implementing “extraordinary measures” to prevent a default until later this year and prior to the President’s State of the Union address set for Tuesday, February 7. 

The Week Ahead

Wednesday, February 1

• 10:00AM EST: House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on “The State of Transportation Infrastructure and Supply Chain Challenges”   
• 10:00AM EST: Senate Ag, Nutrition, and Forestry hearing to examine the 2023 Farm Bill, focusing on trade and horticulture  

A Quick Look Back

• State AGs Give EPA Until End of January to Respond to Year-Round E15 Petitions – Progressive Farmer
• US court halts RFS mandate for 2 refineries – Argus
• Biden-Harris Administration Invests $2.7 Billion to Improve and Expand Rural Electric Infrastructure – USDA
• Senators fight partisan headwinds in pursuit of immigration deal – Roll Call
• Volume returning to trucking market, but carriers aren’t feeling it (yet) – Freight Waves

Contact the Team

Feel free to contact Michael Torrey, Tara Smith, Cassandra Kuball, James Glueck, Barbara Patterson, Katie Naessens, Caroline Snell, Danielle Nelson, Julie McClure, Jacqueline Muhammad, Ashley Willits, Perry Harlow, or Tracy Boyle 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.