Could the third time be the charm for Jim Jordan? The House could vote again as soon as this afternoon on Jordan’s bid for the speakership.
But Jordan’s vote total dropped to 199 on Wednesday, down from 200 on Tuesday, far short of the 217 he needs. And all the indications so far are that opposition to Jordan is pretty dug in, and could even grow.
“I think the votes are just hardening, and it’s going to get worse from here if he keeps going,” Washington Rep. Dan Newhouse, a farm-district Republican who supports Jordan, said after Wednesday’s balloting.
A leading Jordan critic, Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., said the problem for Jordan is that his opponents aren’t looking to make a deal with him but rather are voting against him on principle. Jordan, for his part, said he had a “complete cross-section” of the GOP conference supporting him and would keep talking to others.
Noteworthy: Two GOP members of the House Ag Committee, Don Bacon of Nebraska and Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon, continued to oppose Jordan on Wednesday, while committee member Doug LaMalfa of California switched to support him Wednesday, something LaMalfa had said he would do. (Wednesday’s Daybreak omitted Chavez-DeRemer as a Jordan opponent.)
The big question: If Jordan doesn’t turn things around, will the House consider empowering Speaker Pro Tem Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., to begin legislative action, a move sure to anger hardline GOP conservatives?
GOP Rep. David Valadao, who represents a swing district in California’s Central Valley, has supported Jordan through two votes, but he’s now calling for empowering McHenry.
One problem with the McHenry solution: Womack says Democrats probably wouldn’t go along with empowering McHenry, unless there’s agreement to fund the government at the levels in the debt-ceiling agreement.
Lawmakers unveil more farm bill proposals
The House GOP leadership turmoil isn’t stopping lawmakers from bringing out new proposals for the next farm bill.
Organic ag: The Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards Act would require USDA to request public input on organic standards every five years in consultation with the National Organic Standards Board. The bill’s sponsors include Newhouse and Valadao as well as Democrats Jimmy Panetta and Salud Carbajal of California, and Chellie Pingree, D-Maine.
Groups supporting the bill include the International Fresh Produce Association, Organic Trade Association and Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance.
Urban ag: House Ag Democrats Shontel Brown of Ohio and Alma Adams of North Carolina are proposing to expand USDA services for urban producers and collect more urban agriculture data.
The Supporting Urban and Innovative Farming Act would, among other things, fund research on controlled-environment agriculture and direct the National Agricultural Statistics Service to conduct a census for urban and indoor agricultural production.
The bill would also provide mandatory funding to the USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production.
USDA affirms Rural Development grants, loans for broadband
USDA has affirmed a rule allowing recipients of Rural Development grants and loans to use 10% of the proceeds to build broadband infrastructure.
USDA said after it published the rule in September 2020, it received eight comments in support. A couple of commenters wanted the 10% increased to 15%, but USDA said 10% was specified in the 2018 farm bill.
Brazil corn falls as soybeans rise
Brazilian farmers will be planting and exporting more soybeans for the 2023-24 marketing year, while numbers decline for corn, according to a new analysis out of the University of Illinois.
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Brazilian farmers are still in the early stages of planting this year’s crop and they won’t begin planting the country’s largest corn crop – the second of three – until January, but the Illinois researchers and professors say new data shows what is to come. Brazil’s soy acres are expected to rise to 112 million acres, while total corn acreage will drop to 52 million.
“Brazil’s soybean prices are at their lowest levels since before the pandemic, yet farmers continue expanding their growing areas,” say the authors.
Customs finds hot stash hiding in Mexican peppers
Customs officials discovered last week that the cargo in a truck arriving at the Pharr International Bridge in Texas was far hotter than just the jalapeño peppers listed on the manifest. Some 1,200 pounds of methamphetamine were hidden in the produce, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The 9,426 packages of the drug were valued at about $11 million.
“Our CBP officers continue to stop massive amounts of narcotics at our cargo facility, all while facilitating lawful trade entering the country,” said CBP Port Director Carlos Rodriguez.
He said it. “I've heard references to some of the tactics that are being employed as House of Cards level stuff. It's more like House of Shards, because it's real. It’s destructive, and it's dividing the Republican conference. We don’t need it.” – Rep. Steve Womack, a House Appropriations subcommittee chairman and Arkansas Republican who is opposed to Jim Jordan becoming House speaker. Womack was referring to the pressure being put on Jordan critics.
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, announced Wednesday evening that she had received “credible death threats” after switching her vote from Jordan.
