What’s ahead for Washington this week: Pre-election posturing & party-line votes

By Jon H. Harsch

© Copyright Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.

Washington, Sept. 26 – Monday kicks off with President Obama signing the Small Business Jobs Act which, along with a bevy of tax breaks, is designed to pump $30 billion into small commercial banks. More help could be coming thanks to the House floor vote scheduled Wednesday on H.R.2378, the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act. The bipartisan bill is aimed at putting pressure on China to stop subsidizing its exports by undervaluing its currency and has 155 co-sponsors.

Meanwhile the Senate is expected to vote on S. 3816, the Creating American Jobs & Ending Offshoring Act. Once again, the expectation is that Democrats won't be able to muster the 60 votes needed to overcome a Republican filibuster.

The Cato Institute hosts a briefing Thursday on “Rethinking Biofuels Policy,” to consider the budget costs and environmental impacts of current policy.

Also Thursday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will address a Woodrow Wilson Center session on “Toward a Safe, Secure, and Clean Energy Future.”

Congressional hearings this week include:

Tuesday, September 28

  • Senate Budget Committee hearing on Outlook for the Economy and Fiscal Policy

Wednesday, September 29

  • House Foreign Affairs Committee marks up the Cuba Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act

Thursday, September 30

  • House Oversight & Government Reform Subcommittee hearing on the Environmental Effects of Genetically Engineered Organisms and USDA Policy, focused on genetically engineered, herbicide-resistant crops and the environmental impact of the evolution of herbicide resistant “Superweeds”

  • Senate Banking Committee hearing on Implementing the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, with Fed Chair Bernanke and CFTC Chair Gensler among the witnesses.

  • Senate Energy Committee hearing on Strategic Minerals in Clean Energy Technologies

  • Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Latin American outlook

USDA’s Economic Research Service & National Agricultural Statistics Service reports:

  • Monday, September 27, Poultry Slaughter, Crop Progress

  • Tuesday, September 28, Weather-Crop Summary

  • Wednesday September 29, Agricultural Prices, Broiler Hatchery, Peanut Stocks and Processing

  • Thursday, September 30, Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook, Grain Stocks, Small Grains Summary, Egg Products

  • Friday, October 1, Commodity Costs and Returns Data, Dairy Products Prices, Peanut Prices, Vegetables

To add your event to our calendar, please e-mail us at: jon@agri-pulse.com

For other Agri-Pulse news stories, go to: www.agri-pulse.com

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