Philip Brasher

Anti-hunger advocates are welcoming rulings by the Senate parliamentarian on the GOP budget reconciliation plan. The decisions will force GOP leaders to come up with new cuts to the bill or else accept a higher deficit increase.

Senate GOP leaders face a self-imposed deadline to pass their budget reconciliation bill before the July 4 deadline amid ongoing opposition from some deficit hawks and a fresh hole in the budget savings claimed by the Agriculture Committee. The Supreme Court is expected to consider its decision in a key pesticide case.

The Senate parliamentarian has ruled that Republicans can’t use the budget reconciliation process to impose a state cost-share for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, negating a major source of spending cuts for the legislation. Also ruled out was a provision to suspend permanent price support authority, the device lawmakers use to ensure future Congresses don't allow commodity programs to lapse. 

Trump administration officials are stressing that the deportation program being carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents across the country is focused on criminals.

Republicans in the House and Senate are closely aligned on the farm bill provisions in their budget reconciliation bill, although the Senate version is more favorable to corn and soybean growers who dominate Midwest farming.

Farm organizations from across the country are telling the Trump administration that farmers, ranchers and the food industry should be consulted by the Make America Healthy Again Commission as it continues work on recommendations for food and agriculture policy.

The Senate Finance Committee on Monday released its tax and Medicaid provisions for the budget reconciliation bill that Republicans are trying to reach agreement on, and they extend expiring 2017 tax cuts and expand some other provisions of the law. The provisions also extend the 45Z tax credit for clean fuels.

Senate Republicans will try to put the final touches on their version of the One Big Beautiful Bill during a work week shortened by the Juneteenth holiday, while trade discussions are expected to be on the agenda as President Donald Trump and Treasury Scott Bessent attend the G7 meeting this week in the Canadian Rockies. 

The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to release the next proposed set of renewable volume obligations for fuels this morning, with briefings scheduled for Hill offices and industry leaders ahead of the official release.

President Donald Trump, citing pressure from the agriculture and hospitality sectors, said Thursday farmworkers who are in the country illegally shouldn't be deported and reiterated that the administration would be taking action on the issue. "We’re going to have an order on that coming out soon," he said.