House Republicans try to agree on a grand plan for enacting President Donald Trump’s tax and spending plans this week, while the Senate GOP is opting for a Plan B, a smaller budget plan that leaves the more costly and contentious issues for later.
Meanwhile, the Senate is set to consider five more nominations in coming days, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be secretary of health and human services, and Brooke Rollins to be secretary of agriculture.
Kennedy’s nomination is by far the most controversial, largely due to his long history of vaccine skepticism, but he’s probably passed the toughest test in winning approval on a party-line vote in the Senate Finance Committee.
Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican who has become an outspoken support of Kennedy despite RFK’s continued criticism of conventional agriculture, sits on the committee with jurisdiction over Kennedy’s nomination. He said he was “very optimistic” that Kennedy would be confirmed.
“I think there’s an army of people out there that are jamming senators’ boxes, their emails and their phones saying support Bobby Kennedy Jr.,” Marshall said. “I think this is going to be a situation where the American people carry his nomination as opposed to any great speech that I give or any type of discussion I have with my colleagues.”
Johnson: 'Very, very close' on budget deal
The biggest question in Washington this week, however, is whether House Republicans can agree on the framework for a single, massive package of tax and spending cuts. The first step is to write and advance a fiscal 2025 budget resolution, essentially a blueprint for what will have to be considered later in a budget reconciliation bill.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Fox News on Sunday that Republicans were "very, very close" to a deal on a budget plan, but he suggested that the House Budget Committee action might be delayed again. "We have a very diverse caucus with a lot of interests, but we are going to get this job done," he said.
Johnson said the one-bill strategy the House GOP is pursuing "gives us the highest probability of success of delivering on all of these campaign promises."
Senate Republicans are sticking to a two-step approach. The Senate Budget Committee has scheduled two days of meetings this week to consider its FY25 budget resolution, which will be focused on increasing spending for border security and the military. Tax cuts will be left for later.
It’s easy to be “in the know” about what’s happening in Washington, D.C. Sign up for a FREE month of Agri-Pulse news! Simply click here
Trump has been keeping the pressure on lawmakers to get the legislation moving, and he continues to pressure the GOP to go beyond just extending the expiring provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. In a meeting with House Republicans last week, he reiterated his campaign pledges to eliminate taxes on tips, Social Security and overtime pay.
“We must Secure our Border, Unleash American Energy, and Renew the Trump Tax Cuts, which were the largest in History, but we will make it even better - NO TAX ON TIPS. IT WILL ALL BE MADE UP WITH TARIFFS, AND MUCH MORE, FROM COUNTRIES THAT HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE U.S. FOR YEARS.” Republicans must unite, and quickly deliver these Historic Victories for the American People,” Trump said in a social media post on Saturday.
The Senate GOP’s budget resolution would increase annual spending by $85.5 billion for four years.
“To those who voted for and support real border security and a stronger defense in a troubled world, help is on the way,” said Senator Graham. “This budget resolution jumpstarts a process that will give President Trump’s team the money they need to secure the border and deport criminals, and make America strong and more energy independent.”
While Graham said in a statement the spending increases would be fully offset with equal spending cuts. The budget resolution instructs committees to find $5 billion in total cuts over 10 years but also directs a total increase in spending of $345 billion.
The Senate and House Agriculture Committees would need to identify policy changes that lower spending by $1 billion over 10 years.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, another member of the House Freedom Caucus who is demanding that the budget resolution require deep spending cuts, said things were moving closer to a deal but that there were still outstanding questions on Friday.
“It’s a mix of, is it sufficient cuts, what is the total tax bite and what are your growth assumptions,” Roy said Friday. “It’s getting those all to reasonability.”
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is in the crosshairs in the House. Tightening workforce requirements for the program is a likely option, but recently House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said there wasn’t consensus on exactly what changes to make.
Democrats: We may not help keep the government open
Meanwhile, congressional appropriators still need to reach a deal on funding to avoid a government shutdown after March 14. The government has been funded at FY24 funding levels under successive continuing resolutions since fiscal 2025 started Oct. 1.
Democrats angry with the spending cuts and dismantling of federal agencies being carried out by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency initiative won't commit to providing the votes Republicans will likely need to avoid a government shutdown.
"The strategy is to do whatever we can to stop Donald Trump from hurting Americans, from making us less safe, less secure, and from raising our costs. We will look at every single tool in our toolbox, as we have done this last week, to make sure that we stop him from hurting people," Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., told CNN on Sunday.
Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., told NBC's Meet the Press that Republicans shouldn't count on GOP support for a new funding bill. “So yes, look, if we have to take steps to be able to hold them accountable, use the leverage that we have to force it, I cannot support efforts that will continue this lawlessness that we’re seeing when it comes to this administration’s actions," he said.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., said Friday he understands the increasing interest in passing still another continuing resolution to fund the government through Sept. 30 rather than trying to agree on FY25 funding legislation.
“Every day that goes by, the pressure to just throw in the cards and quit mounts,” Cole said.
Cole said the GOP focus on a budget resolution makes it hard to deal with the March 14 deadline, which is why he thought Congress should have finished its FY25 appropriations legislation in December.
“The more balls you have in the air, the harder it is to juggle,” Cole said.
The House and Senate Agriculture committees are trying to put a focus on the farm economy and the continued struggles of many row crop producers. House Ag has a hearing Tuesday with several farmers as well as John Newton, executive head of Terrain.
On Thursday, Senate Ag has the second of a two-part hearing with a broad range of farm groups. At the first hearing on Wednesday, farm group leaders said producers are facing an increasingly uncertain policy environment on issues such as trade and immigration that are adding to the economic challenges.
Here is a list of agriculture- or rural-related events scheduled for this week in Washington and elsewhere (all times EST):
Monday, Feb. 10
Crop insurance industry annual convention, through Wednesday, Bonita Springs, Florida.
Washington International Trade Conference, through Tuesday.
5:45 p.m. –
Tuesday, Feb. 11
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives annual meeting, through Thursday, La Quinta, California.
National Rural Health Association’s Rural Health Policy Institute, through Thursday, Arlington, Virginia.
10 a.m. – House Agriculture Committee hearing on the farm economy, 1300 Longworth.
10 a.m. – House National Security, State Department Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, “Mexico’s Water Treaty Violations and the Impact on Americans,” 2359 Rayburn.
11:30 a.m. – Senate Finance Committee meeting to consider the nomination of Jamieson Greer to be U.S. trade representative, 215 Dirksen.
Noon – USDA releases the monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates and Crop Production report.
Wednesday, Feb. 12
8:30 a.m. – Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the Consumer Price Index for January.
9 a.m. – Peterson Institute of International Economics webinar, “Transatlantic trade relations face a bumpy road.”
10 a.m. – Senate Budget Committee meeting to consider the fiscal 2025 budget resolution, 608 Dirksen.
10 a.m. – Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on carbon capture and storage, 406 Dirksen.
10 a.m. – Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on the nomination of Lori Chavez-DeRemer to be labor secretary, G50 Dirksen.
10 a.m. – Wilson Center event, “US-Mexico Farm Labor Policy Recommendation Launch,” Woodrow Wilson Center.
Thursday, Feb. 13
8:30 a.m. – House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, “The USAID Betrayal,” 2172 Rayburn.
8:30 a.m. – USDA releases Weekly Export Sales report.
9:30 a.m. – Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on the farm economy, 106 Dirksen.
10 a.m. – Senate Budget Committee continues meeting to consider the fiscal 2025 budget resolution, 608 Dirksen.
10 a.m. – Wilson Center event, “The Future of the Panama Canal,” Woodrow Wilson Center.
Friday, Feb. 14
National Cotton Council annual meeting, through Sunday, Dallas.
For more news, go to Agri-Pulse.com.
