WASHINGTON, May 8, 2016 - Donald Trump tries to
win over congressional Republicans as lawmakers return to work this week facing
some major unfinished business, including negotiations on biotech food
labeling.
With Trump having disposed of his remaining GOP
challengers last week, Republicans now face questions about whether and how
closely to align themselves with Trump and how to address sharp policy
differences on trade and other issues.
Trump has meetings planned Thursday with the
House GOP leadership and then separately with Speaker Paul Ryan and the
chairman of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus. The meetings are
intended “to begin a discussion about the kind of Republican principles and
ideas that can win the support of the American people this November,” according
to Ryan’s office.
Even without the distraction of the presidential
race, a tight legislative schedule between now and the political conventions in
July, plus the August recess, already leaves lawmakers with major scheduling challenges.
Food companies are lobbying leaders of the Senate
Agriculture Committee to hurry up and cut a deal on legislation to preempt state
GMO labeling laws before Vermont’s takes effect July 1. The industry’s lead
lobbyist Randy Russell, would say only that the closely held talks are “making
progress.”
Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., told Agri-Pulse last week that he thought
animal products would likely be exempted from any kind of disclosure
requirement.
He said Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan.,
and ranking member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., “are working right now, we hope,
to put an agreement together. Ninety percent of it is stuff that we all agree
on, and I think they’re bouncing around the last 10 percent.”
Other sources said the single toughest issue
appeared to be still unresolved last week, whether to require food companies to
put some kind of wording or symbol on food labels to alert consumers of the
presence of biotech ingredients.
Progress on other major issues remains uncertain.
The appropriations process has bogged down on both sides of Capitol Hill. In
the Senate, Democrats blocked passage of a relatively noncontroversial Energy-Water
spending bill before last week’s break. House Republicans have been unable to
pass a budget because of demands from hard-line conservatives for new cuts to
entitlement spending.
As of Sunday, the Senate Appropriations Committee
hasn’t scheduled any additional action on fiscal 2017 bills, and the House
committee has only scheduled a markup this week of its defense measure.
The Trump-Ryan dance will keep Washington
riveted. Trump said on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday that he was “blindsided” by Ryan’s statement last week
that he wasn’t ready to support Trump.
Some key farm-state Republicans have indicated
they will support Trump, including Roberts and Senate GOP Conference Chairman John Thune, R-S.D. Roberts issued a one-sentence statement saying he would
support the party nominee.
Others appear to be edging that way, including
the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, Jerry
Moran. But Moran said in a statement that Trump must first “address the serious
concerns many conservatives – myself included – have about some of his
positions and comments.”
House Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas,
hasn’t taken a position on Trump.
Agribusiness
lobbyist Tyson Redpath offered a preview of a possible Trump administration at
last week’s Animal Agriculture Alliance conference. Redpath, senior vice
president of The Russell Group, said Trump would likely reduce what he called
White House micromanagement and make some unconventional cabinet picks. “Imagine
a secretary of agriculture that develops an agenda and is able to pursue that
with vigor,” Redpath said.
He
said a Hillary Clinton administration would “be something we in this town are
more accustomed to.”
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service
will release results on Thursday of a new survey of beekeepers. The report, which will cover 2015
and the first quarter of 2016, will include state-level estimates on number of
colonies, colonies lost and added, and colony health.
It’s the first time USDA has asked beekeepers
about the health of their colonies. The surveys are part of an Obama
administration strategy to improve the health of pollinator populations.
Here’s a list of agriculture- or rural-related events
scheduled for this week in Washington and elsewhere:
Monday, May 9
Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack is in New Hampshire through Tuesday. He hosts a
roundtable discussion with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., at the Nashua Drug
Court on a program to fight drug addiction. Later, he tours the
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Center for Telehealth in Lebanon.
U.S.
Trade Representative Michael Froman holds a roundtable with Business Executives
for National Security.
4 p.m. - USDA releases Crop
Progress report.
Tuesday, May 10
Vilsack
speaks at the New Hampshire Governor’s Summit on Substance Misuse in
Manchester.
Noon - USDA releases monthly WASDE and Crop Production reports.
Wednesday, May 11
Agricultural
trade negotiator Darci Vetter speaks to the Western Growers Association.
Froman
travels to Rwanda for the World Economic Forum Africa, through Saturday.
All
day - Food Waste Summit,
Pew Conference Center, 901 E St NW
10
a.m. - Senate Finance Committee hearing on U.S.
Customs and Border Protection, 215 Dirksen.
2:45
p.m. - Vilsack speaks at Food Waste Summit
Thursday, May 12
8:30 a.m. - USDA releases Weekly Export Sales report.
10 a.m. - House Agriculture Committee hearing, “The Past, Present, and
Future of SNAP: The Retailer Perspectives,” 1300 Longworth.
10 a.m. - Center for American Progress forum, “Enhancing Climate-Smart
Agriculture and Forestry in the United States,” with keynote address by
Vilsack, 1333 H St. NW,
2 p.m. - House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing, “Local and
State Perspectives on BLM Draft Planning 2.0,” 1324 Longworth.
3 p.m. - USDA releases new Honey Bee Colonies report.
Friday, May 13
No
events currently scheduled.
#30
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