‘Honest conversation’ needed on SNAP, Fischer says
A major fight on the cost structure of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will be waiting when senators return from a weeklong recess on June 1.
A couple months ago, partisan battlelines appeared clearly drawn on the thorny issue of shifting a large portion of SNAP costs onto states, as required by last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Yet as the Senate gets ready to take up a farm bill next month, there are signals of potential room for some compromise.
Democrats, including Senate Ag Committee ranking member Amy Klobuchar, say delaying the cost shift is necessary to ensure fairness and prevent vulnerable Americans from losing critical nutrition benefits.
Sen. Deb Fischer, R‑Neb., told Agri‑Pulse Newsmakers on Thursday that Republicans are taking colleagues’ concerns seriously. “We’re listening to that and hearing their concerns,” she said. “We’ll see if we can work that out. I think it’s going to be a big push, but I think it’s also important that we listen and continue to discuss it.”
Senate Ag Committee members who met on Wednesday to discuss farm bill priorities had a “robust” discussion on SNAP, panel member Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., told Agri-Pulse. He didn’t elaborate, citing the meeting’s private nature, except to say that SNAP is a "red line" for him and fellow Democrats.
Meanwhile, Senate Ag Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., has been adamant that reopening debate on the SNAP issue is a non-starter.
Senate farm bill won’t include pesticide labeling, Prop 12
A forthcoming farm bill proposal from the Senate Ag Committee won’t include controversial provisions on pesticide labeling and livestock welfare, a panel spokesperson tells Agri-Pulse.
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Chairman Boozman brought committee members together on Wednesday to discuss advancing a “farm bill 2.0,” which would tackle key issues not addressed in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The House passed its version of a farm bill last month.
Boozman, who is focused on advancing a farm bill in a bipartisan manner, outlined a plan to release text in June and hold a markup in the same work period, committee spokesperson Sara Lasure said.
“Given the 60 votes needed, he shared that while he supports proposals to reaffirm EPA’s role in pesticide labeling and a fix to California’s Proposition 12, those measures currently don’t have the bipartisan support needed for inclusion,” Lasure said.
Senators will have a chance to add amendments on the issues when a farm bill is near a full floor vote.
Thompson: Ag labor bill set for June introduction
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa, says he did “final review” on Thursday of the committee’s long-awaited ag labor bill, with plans to introduce the bill in June.
“I did a walkthrough on the text today. Very exciting,” Thompson told Agri-Pulse.
Key target audiences will have an opportunity to get “their last input in” on Friday before a discussion draft is circulated to House members.
The bill, which Thompson said was his top priority after the farm bill passed the full House, is based on recommendations from the bipartisan Agricultural Labor Working Group report. He has said the bill will be assigned to the Judiciary Committee.
Administration punts on beef import executive order
There is “no signing date in sight” for President Donald Trump’s executive order to boost beef imports, according to an administration official.
The executive order, which would have suspended tariff-rate quotas on beef imports, was supposed to be inked earlier this month but received pushback from lawmakers and the domestic beef industry when they were briefed on the plan. The White House then said it was “fine-tuning” the order.
Politico reported Thursday that the order has been shelved amid strong opposition from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., told Agri-Pulse in an interview that he raised concerns with the administration as well.
“We want to make sure we get the policy right,” he said. “We need a bigger herd, and some potential disruption could make that more difficult.”
He added that he has had “good communication” with administration officials. “I feel that our concerns are heard.”
But, but, but: An agricultural industry lobbyist doubted that the idea of using imports to lower U.S. beef prices had been completely shelved.
“Nothing ever gets shelved in this administration,” the lobbyist said. They noted it could be more politically advantageous to adopt the measure closer to the midterm elections in November to show the administration is doing something to address high consumer prices.
“I don't know why you would do it at this point in time,” they said.
Don’t confuse U.S.-China trade pause for ‘stability,’ analysts warn
Trump’s Beijing visit last week yielded several deals, including commitments to purchase a minimum level of U.S. ag products over the next three years and set up new venues for collaboration. But experts warn that underlying trade tensions remain, and may be worsening, teeing up further conflicts.
“They extended their tactical pause, but we shouldn't confuse that with stability,” Daniel Russel, a former assistant Secretary of State, said during an Asia Society Policy Institute webinar Wednesday. “If anything, the underlying strategic rivalry, I think, is intensifying.”
The U.S. and China have deep, systemic contradictions, the Asia Society’s Orville Schell said. “It's going to be very difficult for even the greatest diplomat to untie that, and I'm not so sure we made much progress in Beijing in this past summit.”
Former trade negotiator Wendy Cutler agreed, calling the summit’s deliverables “weak.”
But, but, but: The underlying tensions don’t preclude further dealmaking. Chinese President Xi Jinping is slated to make a return visit to Washington in September and several analysts said they expected more robust outcomes from that meeting.
September, with its proximity to the midterm elections in November, might be the preferred timing for any major announcements, said Jing Qian, cofounder of the Asia Society’s Center for China Analysis.
“A lot of things I think might be, by design, to save for September,” he added.
Gasoline worries mount as summer driving season kicks off
The start of the busy spring and summer travel season is here, with U.S. drivers facing the highest Memorial Day gas prices since 2022.
Nearly 40 million Americans are expected to hit the highways, and 3.67 million the airways, between May 21-25, a record if realized for the long holiday weekend, according to AAA Gas Price.
This summer could be the most expensive at the gasoline pump in years due to ongoing blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, says fuel data firm GasBuddy.
Prices per gallon could potentially hit $5, “setting new record average of $4.80 per gallon, exceeding 2022's summer average of $4.43 if the Strait remains closed,” Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, said in a social media post Wednesday.
Global oil market deficits will create a “challenging summer season” for the U.S. and other Western Hemisphere countries, Francisco Blanch from the Bank of America Securities told Bloomberg TV earlier this week.
“So not only are you paying higher prices but you may have availability issues, and that can be a problem,” Blanch said.
On the ethanol front, U.S. makers of the corn-based fuel are ramping up. Production of the gasoline additive for the week ended May 15 was almost 10% above the five-year average for the week, according to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association.
Final word
“We have to keep in mind that it takes a lot of engagement, especially between the U.S. and China, to get the outcomes that either country wants. We went many, many years here where there was zero engagement between our two countries and that's a huge tragedy, especially for us in agriculture.” – Former USTR chief agricultural negotiator Gregg Doud, now president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, discussing the outcomes of the bilateral meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Agri-Pulse Newsmakers.
Newsmakers will be released today on Agri-Pulse.com.
Daybreak will return on Tuesday, May 26.
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