Articles by Steve Davies

With Joe Biden consistently leading President Donald Trump in the polls, speculation is growing in Washington about who could get key Cabinet and staff positions, including jobs that could have a far-reaching impact on U.S. agriculture and trade policy. 

The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking comments on a proposed interim registration review decision for the herbicide paraquat that includes new safety requirements.

EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler will announce the agency’s decision on dicamba this afternoon in rural Georgia, accompanied by American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall, National Cotton Council Chairman Kent Fountain and Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black.

It’s all but certain at this point that Congress won’t pass a big new stimulus bill before the election. But a deal in the lame duck session remains a possibility. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday suggested she opposes waiting until next year when Democrats could have control of the White House and the Senate.

Joe Biden used the final presidential debate Thursday night to reiterate his pledge to submit an immigration reform bill to Congress within his first 100 days in office. In an unusual admission, he also said that failing to get a bill passed while he was vice president “was a mistake. It took too long to get it right.”

Climate policy is one of the six focus areas tonight in the second and final debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. Other debate issues include national security and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sen. John Boozman, who is set to take over as the top Republican on the Senate Ag Committee, next year is optimistic that Congress will provide more aid to farmers for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The question is when a new aid package will pass, and that looks unlikely before the election.

The hemp industry is not happy with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s interim final rule implementing the 2018 farm bill’s hemp provisions.

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst is in a fight for her political life, running neck and neck with Democrat Theresa Greenfield in a race that has drawn intense interest and a lot of money as Democrats seek to take control of the Senate.