Key House committees continue work today on their pieces of that “big, beautiful” budget reconciliation bill Republicans are trying to push through Congress.

House Ag Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., expressed confidence Tuesday evening that he can get his portion of the legislation through committee despite its cuts to SNAP funding that are challenging for some members in swing districts.

“When you're on the side of the angels with legislation, it makes for some really good campaigning back home,” Thompson told reporters shortly before the committee started debate on the Ag bill.

But, but, but: The committee’s top Democrat, Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig, ripped the Ag proposals at the outset of the panel’s markup, although there’s nothing Democrats can do to stop the legislation if Republicans hang together. She said states can’t afford to share the cost of SNAP, one requirement of the Ag bill.

We have analysis of key pieces of the reconciliation legislation in this week’s newsletter. The measures the Ag and Ways and Means committees are considering offer significant benefits to farmers. 

He’s back: RFK Jr. to appear before Congress today

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will make back-to-back appearances on Capitol Hill today amid a variety of questions about his food and vaccine policy, and about agency staffing.

Kennedy will first appear before House Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee and then the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. 

Senators could press Kennedy on several issues he’s begun work on since his confirmation, including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. He’s also likely to face questions on staffing cuts. FDA was expected to lose at least 3,500 employees as part of a major restructuring.

The White House budget request designates $500 million to broadly support the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which Kennedy leads. The commission is expected to release its first report by the end of next week. 

By the way: One HHS employee told Agri-Pulse that some laid off workers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have received notices inviting them to come back to work. They had not heard about any agricultural, fishing or forestry staff being among those invited back, however.

Soybean supply chains in the spotlight on Capitol Hill

American Soybean Association President Caleb Ragland appears before the Senate Finance Committee today to highlight supply chain challenges affecting U.S. producers.

Ragland will raise supply chain issues like rising fertilizer, seed and equipment costs, a spokesperson says, as well as the impacts of U.S. tariffs on the industry.

Expect committee Chair Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, to make the case for why trade is beneficial for U.S. farmers. He will argue that the bulk of U.S. imports aren’t of consumer goods, but inputs for manufacturing, processing and farming, according to a copy of his remarks seen by Agri-Pulse.

“The Trump Administration was correct to exempt Canadian potash—a key nutrient for our corn and soy farmers, from recent tariffs,” he will say. “An affirmative trade policy ensures our consumers and manufacturers have access to the resources that our nation needs to be secure and independent.”

Bayer projects optimism despite bumpy Q1

Bayer officials maintained an optimistic outlook on an earnings call Tuesday even as the company announced lower sales and earnings for the first quarter of 2025.

The company reported a 3.3 % sales dip in Crop Science for the first quarter. Seeds and traits were down 5%, due in part to a federal court’s decision to vacate the label of controversial herbicide dicamba. The company also blamed the registration expiration of its insecticide Movento in Europe.

Bayer is undergoing a reorganization that involves laying off at least 200 people in Crop Science and closing one of its production facilities, a move opposed by unions at the company.

CEO Bill Anderson said he has “had a very close partnership with the unions and with all our employees” since he came to the company two years ago. “There’s no agreement that I’ve made that I’ve not honored, and I will continue to keep all my agreements and all my commitments to the workers.”

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As for tariffs, Chief Financial Officer Wolfgang Nickl said Bayer is mostly unaffected. “Seeds and traits are mostly produced in the regions where they’re also sold,” he said. “As of now, most of our crop protection active ingredients as well as glyphosate are exempt from the latest tariffs.”

New fund aims to support “virtual fencing” technology

The Property and Environment Research Center has launched a $400,000 fund to support landowners that outfit their herds with GPS-based collars that can replace fences.

Eight farms and ranches have so far been chosen to receive grants funding the technology — known as “virtual fencing.” The technology can be used for a range of conservation purposes, from preserving pollinator habitat to reducing conflicts between livestock and wolves.

How it works: When a cow approaches a virtual barrier set by the producer, the collar beeps to warn them they are approaching the boundary and gives them a shock if they pass it.

Check out Agri-Pulse’s previous coverage of the technology to learn more about its potential uses.

Senators revive effort to tighten dog import restrictions

Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Tina Smith, D-Minn., are reintroducing legislation to add new requirements for dog importers to prevent the spread of animal diseases.

The Healthy Dog Importation Act will require a vet to sign off on the dog’s health before its arrival, including ensuring the dog is vaccinated and parasite-free.

“We want to stop the spread of diseases that can hurt both animals and humans,” Grassley said in a statement. “Our commonsense proposal will boost an existing program to ensure all dogs entering the United States are healthy.”

The bill has the support of the National Animal Interest Alliance, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Final Word

“I've been teaching constitutional law for over 20 years, and I've never seen a power grab as brazen and large scale as this one… [if the president] can impose tariffs whenever he wants, that is both unconstitutional and illegal and tremendously harmful to the American economy.” – Ilya Somin, a trade lawyer representing a group of small businesses challenging Trump’s reciprocal tariffs at the Court of International Trade.

Read more on the case in our newsletter today. 

Rebekah Alvey, Philip Brasher, Oliver Ward, Noah Wikes and Lydia Johnson contributed to this report.