House Speaker Mike Johnson is laying out an ambitious schedule for enacting President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda. Speaking Sunday on Fox News, Johnson said Republicans will move a giant budget reconciliation bill through the House by early April that will address border security and energy development, as well as an extension of the 2017 tax cuts and an increase in the government's debt ceiling.
He said he plans to have the bill on the president’s desk by Memorial Day at the latest.
Johnson has virtually no room for error – Republicans currently control the House, 219-215. He said that tying all the issues together in one bill would ensure the legislation has the broadest possible GOP support.
“No one is going to love every element of a large package like that. But there will be enough elements in there to bring everyone along. ... Keeping it together is how we’ll actually get it done,” he said.
Keep in mind: Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., prefers delaying tax provisions to a second reconciliation bill later in the year. In an interview with CBS News’ Face the Nation, Thune said the first bill would address national security and energy policy. He noted that Democrats moved two reconciliation bills “while they had the majority in the last session of the Congress … both of which did a lot of tax policy, spending policy, etc.”
Rollins hearing set for Jan. 15
The Senate Ag Committee’s confirmation hearing for Trump’s pick as agriculture secretary, Brooke Rollins, is set for Jan. 15, Agri-Pulse has learned. So far, there’s no sign of opposition to her nomination.
New Treasury rule outlines process for claiming hydrogen tax credit; could benefit digesters
New regulations from the Treasury Department provide a pathway for hydrogen producers to claim a tax credit when they use biomethane, also known as renewable natural gas.
The rule announced Friday outlines how to calculate lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas alternatives sourced from “a wider range of biogas and fugitive methane than the proposed rules allowed,” including manure that is processed by digesters that capture methane from animal manure.
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Both the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas were critical of the new regs. The RNG Coalition said “certain provisions in the rule may significantly limit the potential of RNG to contribute to a globally competitive clean hydrogen economy.”
New research links Brazilian ag exports to worse air quality and premature deaths
Researchers say trade-induced deforestation in Brazil may have contributed to more than 700,000 premature deaths in recent decades. In a new paper, researchers in Michigan, Germany and Singapore trace some 8.9 million acres of forest loss to rising Brazilian agriculture exports between 1997 and 2019.
The authors say the excess deaths are primarily driven by increased rates of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as deforestation worsens air quality in cities downwind from the cleared land. “[T]o meet foreign demand without high health costs, agricultural producers should prioritize increasing yield rather than expanding agricultural lands,” they conclude.
U.S. drone maker: Breaking China’s monopoly would benefit ag
A U.S. drone maker believes limiting imports of Chinese-manufactured drones would drive competition and innovation to the benefit of agricultural users.
The Commerce Department last week announced it was assessing the risks posed by drone components produced in adversarial nations. Officials are mulling a ban on Chinese-made drones or their software and hardware. Companies using drones for crop protection purposes have warned that such a ban would hurt farmers by reducing competition.
But Arthur Erickson, CEO and co-founder of Hylio, a U.S.-based producer of agro-drones, disagrees. He tells Agri-Pulse that China’s DJI currently enjoys a monopoly on the U.S. drone market, which stifles innovation and competition. “Competition amongst Western providers is going to ultimately be good, because we would all be vying for the market on more equal terms,” Erickson adds.
Alcohol advisory from surgeon general gets mixed reception
Friday’s announcement by the surgeon general that raised alarms about the link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk is garnering mixed reactions. The advisory issued by Vivek Murthy listed alcohol as the third leading preventable cause of cancer, following tobacco and obesity. He called for new warning labels reflecting the danger.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest applauded the advisory and urged Congress to act swiftly to “promote a more informed public” and prevent cancer deaths attributable to alcohol.
The Beer Institute said in a statement that it encourages adults who can legally drink “to make choices that best fit their personal circumstances, and if they choose to drink, to consume alcohol beverages in moderation.”
The Wine Institute said, “Because it is a complex issue, Wine Institute always refers consumers to the most current (dietary guidelines) and recommends that any person who has concerns about consuming alcohol should consult with their healthcare provider.”
The current guidelines recommend consumers limit alcohol intake to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.
Bayer says Roundup litigation in Australia is over
The Federal Court of Australia has brought the last Roundup injury litigation in the country to an end, “closing all pending injury litigation there,” Bayer says.
The company says plaintiffs chose to drop a class action case. That decision followed a ruling from the same court in a previous case that found no link between glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Bayer says it still plans to file a petition in the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to determine that federal pesticide law pre-empts state-based warning claims.
Final word
Humanitarian chef José Andrés says he’s humbled to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden.
“I know that immigrants are bridges,” Andrés says in a post on X. “We build the longer tables that connect us all. And I believe we all share a responsibility to create an even better America, one where the American dream can be achieved by everyone … regardless of what you look like or where you come from.”
Andrés’ World Central Kitchen has provided millions of meals to communities affected by natural disasters and conflict. He was one of 18 to receive the medal on Saturday.
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