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President-elect Joe Biden says he has assured world leaders that labor unions and environmentalists will be “at the table” when he's negotiating any new trade deals.

There are expressions of optimism on both sides of Capitol Hill that lawmakers could reach a deal during the lame duck session on a government-wide spending bill for fiscal 2021.

The House is back in session this week along with the Senate, and lawmakers face a lengthy to-do list, which includes passing a stimulus bill as well as an omnibus appropriations measure to fund the government through the rest of fiscal 2021.

Now that a COVID-19 vaccine could be on the horizon, the food and restaurant industry is appealing to the government to prioritize inoculating their workers.

Producers in the central United States are being buoyed by a recent uptick in commodity prices and a swell of government payments, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City noted in a quarterly report Thursday, but some bankers are still worried.

Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, is backing Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., to be the next chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Fudge’s staff confirms to Agri-Pulse. Fudge would be honored to serve as secretary of agriculture, if offered the position, an aide said.

Democrats went into the 2020 election cycle determined not to repeat Hillary Clinton’s disastrous showing four years earlier, but their increased turnout was overwhelmed by President Donald Trump's, helping Republicans down ballot.

The election as well as lawmaker retirements have shaken up leadership roles on key House and Senate Committees with jurisdiction over agriculture and food, which could force Capitol Hill legislators to forge new friendships.

U.S. pork exports continue to break records, buoyed by unprecedented demand from China, where African swine fever decimated production, but American producers are preparing to adapt as the country quickly rebuilds its herd.