September 9, 2025

Contents

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

What We’re Watching

Congress 

Appropriations 

Congress only has until the end of the month to agree on a plan to fund the government and avoid a shutdown, but the path forward remains unclear. Complicating matters further is President Trump’s pocket recission package which would claw back nearly $5 billion in foreign aid. As of now, both Republicans and Democrats are open to a clean extension until November or December, but nothing has been confirmed. Other legislative vehicles, like the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the farm bill, and a potential extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits will all need to move as well, teeing up a busy fall for negotiations. 

Senate Letter to USDA 

A group of Senate Democrats, including Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) sent a letter to USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden raising concerns with the proposed agency reorganization plan. The letter requests the Deputy Secretary to “pause any further action until committing to engage with unions,” citing that collective bargaining agreements require consultation with the unions before a final decision on reorganization is reached. The letter also asks for a commitment to complying with collective bargaining agreements and to a “fully transparent process with all USDA employees to solicit feedback” with answers due by September 19, 2025.  

Administration

Courts and Department of Labor Make Changes to H-2A Regulations

At the end of August, a federal court struck down the Biden-era changes to the H-2A Adverse Effect Wage Rate rule that set wage requirements for H-2A employees. The Department of Labor announced that future H-2A rates would be determined by a rule from 2010, a move that was praised by agriculture groups due to the rapid increase in H-2A wages and inability for many smaller or medium-sized farms to keep up with the cost of migrant labor. Additionally, the Department of Labor announced the reversal of their policy that required all H-2A workers to arrive on the same date, now allowing for staggered entry and flexibility for producers that need year-round labor or multiple types of labor for various harvest seasons.  

USDA Announces Funding for Forest Health

USDA will be allocating $8 million under the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership Program, which includes the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Forest Service to allocate funding toward five forest health projects. The goal is to protect water quality, improve forest health, and reduce wildfire risk.   

USDA Rolls Out Actions on Rural Veterinarians

USDA has announced new actions to bolster veterinary services in rural areas, including an action plan to address the large animal veterinarian shortage, grant programs for students, a study of rural vet shortages, a recruitment plan, cataloging federal resources for vets, and to work with stakeholders to understand and alleviate barriers to entry. The full action plan can be found here, and the announcement can be found here.  

MAHA Strategy Released

The Department of Health and Human Services officially rolled out the “Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy”, which focuses on strategies to address childhood chronic disease. Pillars of the report include advancing research, refocusing incentives, private sector collaboration, and increasing public awareness. On the food side, the strategy makes recommendations around GRAS, ultra-processed foods, food additives, the Dietary Guidelines, and dairy products. On the agriculture side, the report makes recommendations on pesticide research, soil health, research, and innovation. There are also deregulatory recommendations for organics, local food access, and small farming operations.  

Notable News

• Ultraprocessed Food on an Ultrafast Track – New England Journal of Medicine
• GOP Senators Signal to Trump that Kennedy is on Thin Ice – The Hill
• Farm Sector Income & Finances – Highlights from the Farm Income Forecast – USDA ERS
• GOP Iowa US Sen. Joni Ernst Won’t Seek Reelection in 2026 – Des Moines Register
• At the farmers market, slashed benefits threaten MAHA’s food-as-medicine goal – STAT
• The 25 House Districts that Shifted the Most from 2022 to 2024 – Roll Call 

This Week’s Legislation

• Representatives Finstad (R-MN) and Pingree (D-ME) introduced the Agriculture Skills Preparation for Industry Recruitment Efforts (ASPIRE) Act to establish an agricultural workforce training program and provide resources to schools to encourage students to join the agriculture workforce.
• Representative McClain Delaney (D-MD) introduced the Protecting Agricultural Borrower Information Act, which would prevent the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing financial databases under the USDA. 
• Representatives Adams (D-NC), Hayes (D-CT), Lee (D-PA), Velazquez (D-NY) and Senator Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced the Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2025 which would change the formula used to calculate SNAP benefits from the Thrifty Food Plan to the Low Cost Food Plan, increasing the average SNAP benefit amount.  

Upcoming Hearings

Tuesday, September 9 

• 10:00 AM: The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture will hold a hearing on “Exploring State Options in SNAP.”
• 10:15 AM: The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands will hold a hearing on “The State of Our Nation’s Federal Forests”
• 2:00 PM: The House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services will hold a hearing on “Better Meals, Fewer Pills: Making Our Children Healthy Again”
• 2:15 PM: The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing on “Exploring the Economic Potential of the Golden Age of American Energy Dominance” 

Wednesday, September 10 

• 10:00 AM: The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture will hold a hearing on “Promoting Forest Health and Resiliency Through Improved Active Management”
• 10:00 AM: The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold hearings to examine a discussion draft of the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act, and S.881, to amend the Clean Air Act to include fuel for ocean-going vessels as additional renewable fuel for which credits may be generated under the renewable fuel program. 

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.