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A bipartisan Senate bill would require the Department of Transportation to take a look at the impact hours of service and electronic logging device regulations would have on the agriculture industry.

President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats are readying their next big legislative push for a $2 trillion infrastructure package that he wants to pay for with corporate tax increases, which likely will make the measure a non-starter for Republican lawmakers and many farm groups.

U.S. farmers, ranchers, foresters and food companies are leaning in on the climate policy debate more than ever before, even as many questions remain about how to achieve measurable and practical solutions that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack pledged to the House Agriculture Committee to “root out” systemic racism and barriers at USDA that prevent Black and other socially disadvantaged farmers from receiving the same level of assistance that has historically been available to white farmers.

USDA announced Wednesday plans to spend at least $6 billion on new pandemic aid programs that reach a broader swath of producers than previous efforts, while putting “a greater emphasis on outreach to small and socially disadvantaged producers, specialty crop and organic producers (and) timber harvesters.”

Agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., when adjusted for productivity, are down by 24% over the past 30 years, but farmers can do better if Congress and the Biden administration amp up assistance, says American Farm Bureau Federation Chief Economist John Newton.

The $5 billion approved in the American Rescue Plan for disadvantaged farmers, including $4 billion in debt relief, is only the beginning of what should be done for farmers of color, three key U.S. senators said Monday.

Ranchers can continue to use currently approved identification tags for cattle while USDA examines whether to require Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, the department said Tuesday.

Congressional Democrats will use this week to build their case for two major priorities, a multi-trillion dollar climate and infrastructure package, and a child nutrition reauthorization bill that could be used to increase the number of kids getting free meals.

If approved by the Surface Transportation Board, the transaction would create the first rail network linking the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.