House GOP leaders will try to win passage this week of the Senate-passed budget framework over the opposition of some deficit hawks, and lawmakers will get a chance to vent their concerns about the market turmoil triggered by President Donald Trump’s stiff new tariffs.

Approving the fiscal 2025 budget resolution would unlock the budget reconciliation process that’s needed to boost Trump’s biggest legislative priorities, including tax cuts, deep spending reductions and increased funding for the border and military.

The resolution, which the Senate approved early Saturday morning, would effectively punt critical decisions on spending cuts until later. As written, the Senate would only be required to cut a few billion dollars, while the House would have to cut at least $1.5 trillion.

Trump has endorsed the latest resolution, but he also may have to pressure some hardline conservatives to vote for it, given the uncertainty about the size of the spending cuts that will ultimately be made.

House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, on Saturday called the resolution “unserious and disappointing” but stopped short of saying he would oppose it. He pledged to work with Trump and House and Senate leaders to “ensure the final reconciliation bill makes America safe, prosperous, and fiscally responsible again.”  

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., said he couldn’t support the resolution “until I see the actual spending and deficit reduction plans to enact President Trump’s America First agenda.” HFC member Chip Roy, R-Texas, called the resolution a “Jekyll and Hyde” budget that he couldn’t support.

Leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture committees already have started discussions about farm bill programs could be included in a reconciliation bill, including increased funding for commodity programs and crop insurance. The increased spending would likely be offset from reductions in nutrition assistance. 

Can USTR Greer sell lawmakers on tariffs?

Meanwhile this week, the Trump administration will have to defend the president’s market-crashing change in U.S. trade policy on Capitol Hill, where some Senate Republicans are registering concerns about huge reciprocal tariffs the president is imposing on many trading partners, including major importers of U.S. farm products.

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U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is scheduled to testify Tuesday before the Senate Finance Committee and Wednesday before the House Ways and Means Committee.

Democrats will continue their pushback on Trump’s tariffs, arguing that they are a tax increase which places the heaviest financial burden on the lowest earners. The constitution gives Congress trade policymaking powers, which it has delegated to the president. How hard Republicans push Greer will be telling of the congressional appetite to take back some of those powers.

The president has also been sending mixed signals on whether the administration is open to cutting deals to lower the reciprocal duties. In a pair of posts on Truth Social on Friday, the president argued his tariffs are “here to stay,” and that his trade policies “will never change.” But Trump has also suggested that for the right concession, he might be willing to lower the duties.

Greer’s posture on future dealmaking will also be something to watch.

The first tranche of duties went into effect on Saturday, subjecting importers to a 10% duty on almost all imports. Further tariff hikes applied to specific countries are set to take effect on Wednesday.  

The tariffs are already facing an assault on multiple fronts. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told Agri-Pulse that he is going to introduce a resolution to challenge the emergency declaration used to impose the 10% across-the-board duty. A similar resolution challenging the Canada tariffs received Senate approval last week after peeling off four Republican votes.

A bill to claw back congressional oversight over trade policy is also picking up steam. The legislation, introduced by Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., last week, would let Congress vote on any new tariffs imposed by the president and already has multiple Republican backers – including Sens. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Todd Young, R-Ind.

GOP Rep. Don Bacon told Politico on Friday that he plans to introduce a House version of the bill.

The New Civil Liberties Alliance also mounted the first legal challenge to Trump’s tariffs late last week. The nonprofit filed a lawsuit in a U.S. District Court in Florida questioning the legality of the emergency declaration used to hike duties on imports from China earlier this year, according to a statement.

The International Emergency Economic Powers Act had never been used to impose tariffs before Trump used the authority to slap new duties on Canada, Mexico, China and, most recently, in an across-the-board duty on all trading partners.

“No prior president ever thought the IEEPA allowed him to set tariffs. Reading this law broadly enough to uphold the China tariff would transfer core legislative power,” NCLA President Mark Chenoweth said in a statement. “To avoid that nondelegation pitfall, the court must construe the statute consistent with nearly 50 years of unbroken practice and decide it does not permit tariff setting.”

Vaden gets confirmation hearing

Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, the Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a confirmation hearing Tuesday on two key nominees for USDA, Stephen Vaden to be deputy secretary and Tyler Clarkson to be general counsel. The deputy secretary typically serves as the department's chief operating officer. 

Vaden, a judge on the Court of International Trade, served as general counsel for USDA during the first Trump administration.

On the other side of Capitol Hill, the House Agriculture Committee will have a hearing on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program work requirements. 

Expanding the age limits for SNAP work requirements is likely to be a focus of Republicans as they craft their reconciliation bill. Some of the savings could be used to increase spending for commodity programs and crop insurance while the rest could help offset the cost of tax cuts.

Pork producers advocate on Prop 12, H-2A

The National Pork Producers Council is leading 120 pork producers from 21 states to Capitol Hill this week to voice their concerns about the state of the industry with a focus on labor policy, expanding export markets and securing a legislative solution to California’s Proposition 12.

The state ballot initiative which sets housing standards for laying hens and sows, Prop 12, was approved by voters in 2018. Since January 2024, all breeding swine farms in California and those selling into the California marketplace are required to be Prop 12 compliant.

The House Ag Committee included language in its farm bill last year to prevent individual states from setting production standards that affect producers in other states, but the legislation never reached the House floor.

Additionally, the pork producers will be advocating for access to the H-2A visa program for ag sectors that need year-round workers.

Here is a list of agriculture- or rural-related events scheduled for this week in Washington and elsewhere (all times EDT):

Monday, April 7

National Institute for Animal Agriculture annual conference through Wednesday, Kansas City, Missouri. 

National Association of Clean Water Agencies Water Week, though Saturday, Hilton Washington National Mall The Wharf

4 p.m. – American Enterprise Institute forum, "How Much Money Is DOGE Saving Taxpayers?"

Tuesday, April 8 

10 a.m. – Bipartisan Policy Center forum, "Tariffs, Tweets, and Trade: Decoding the Trump Administration’s Global Economic Playbook."

10 a.m. – House Agriculture Committee hearing on expanding work requirements for SNAP, 1300 Longworth

10 a.m. – Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on the nominations of Stephen Vaden to be deputy agriculture secretary and Tyler Clarkson to be general counsel of USDA, 328A Russell.

10 a.m. – Senate Finance Committee hearing with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, 215 Dirksen.

10 a.m. – SGS INSPIRE webinar, “What does the new U.S. Administration’s agenda mean for U.S. transportation fuels and EV policies?”

Wednesday, April 9

9:45 a.m. – Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing to consider the nominations of Sean Donahue and Jessica Kramer to be an assistant administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and Brian Nesvik to be director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, 406 Dirksen. 

10 a.m. – House Ways and Means Committee hearing on trade policy with Jamieson Greer, 1100 Longworth. 

2 p.m. – House Agriculture Committee Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development hearing on the future of digital assets, 1300 Longworth.

Thursday, April 10

8:30 a.m. – Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the March Consumer Price Index.

9:30 a.m. – Peterson Institute for International Economics forum, “Outlook for North American trade and immigration.”

10 a.m. – Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing to consider the nomination of Kathleen Sgamma to be director of the Bureau of Land Management, 366 Dirksen.

10 a.m. – Senate Finance Committee hearing on the nomination of William Kimmitt to be undersecretary of commerce for international trade, 215 Dirksen.

10:30 a.m. – Center for Strategic and International Studies forum, “Cultivating Competitiveness: Positioning North America as a Strategic Agricultural Bloc.”

1 p.m. – Food and Drug Administration webinar, “The updated ‘Healthy’ Claim.” 

Friday, April 11

For more news, go to Agri-Pulse.com.