Articles by Philip Brasher

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is dropping plans to create a second beef checkoff in the wake of a congressional directive telling him not to implement a new program. Vilsack's decision is a victory for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the largest contractor for the existing program.

President Obama?s plan to ease financial restrictions on trade with Cuba could help reverse a decline in agricultural exports to the island nation, but his move is likely to face stiff opposition in Congress. The president?s plan includes easing Treasury Department regulations and also allowing sal

The Senate tonight gave final congressional approval to a bill reinstating more than 50 expired tax breaks, including the Section 179 expensing allowance that some farmers had been waiting on before buying new tractors and other equipment. The bill, which now goes to President Obama.

Rajiv Shah, the architect of President Obama’s $1-billion-a year to increase food production and reduce hunger in the world’s poorest countries, is stepping down as administrator of the U.S. Agency of International Development. Shah ran agricultural programs at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Four newly elected Republican senators, including Iowa?s Joni Ernst and Nebraska?s Ben Sasse, will be joining the Senate Agriculture Committee for the new Congress. The Senate announced committee assignments for Republicans and Democrats today.

Despite stiff opposition from congressional Republicans, EPA is moving ahead with plans to finalize its proposed Clean Water Act rule by this spring, Administrator Gina McCarthy says. She's unsure, however, what the Obama administration will do about a separate measure that laid out standards for f

The $1.1 trillion government-wide spending measure is on its way to President Obama for his signature, but the Senate still has to vote this week on a tax extenders bill that also is critical to agriculture. The spending bill includes several policy riders, including one on Clean Water Act exemptio

The House averts a government shutdown by narrowly passing a sweeping government-wide spending bill after overcoming a revolt by Democrats and conservative Republicans.

A House-passed bill extending a series of expired tax breaks is likely to be the last thing the Senate does before adjourning for the year.

The massive $1 trillion fiscal 2015 spending bill that congressional leaders have agreed on sets the stage for fights next year over the Clean Water Act, school nutrition, the beef checkoff and country-of-origin labeling.