Articles by Lydia Johnson

House appropriators are set to start moving their fiscal 2026 spending bills this week, just days after the White House finally released details of its budget requests. 

Senate Republicans are sharply divided over key parts of the House GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill ahead of a critical summer session and a looming deadline imposed by the U.S. debt ceiling. House appropriators start work on their fiscal 2026 spending bills, including the Agriculture measure, and Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins heads to Italy on another trade mission.

The White House is downplaying a report that found problems with dozens of citations in the Make America Healthy Again Commission report. 

Calley Means, a key figure in the Make America Healthy Again movement and a special adviser to the White House, says American farmers and agriculture will be engaged in the MAHA Commission’s policy development phase.

Hermosa Beach city council member Ray Jackson was appointed to the South Coast seat on the California Coastal Commission. Duane Simpson, vice president and head of North America public affairs, science and sustainability in Bayer's Crop Science Division, is succeeding Chuck Conner as president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.

 Kapi Kapi Growers hired Marissa Geoffroy as director of supply chain. Jennifer Clever is now senior director of the Asia and Pacific Division in the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Office of Trade Policy and Geographical Affairs.

The National Pork Producers Council hired Wendy Brannen as vice president of communications and marketing. Jimmy Peacock departed Capitol Hill to join Cornerstone Government Affairs as a principal. Patrick Penn was appointed as deputy under secretary for the Food and Nutrition Service.

Will Sitton joined Invariant’s food and agriculture practice as a senior manager of government affairs. The National Pork Producers Council hired Wendy Brannen as vice president of communications and marketing. Duane Simpson will succeed Chuck Conner as president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.

Bayer Vice President Duane Simpson was named to succeed Chuck Conner as the next president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. 

The Western Tree Nut Association named new officers for the board of directors. Kirk Squire, director of grower relations at Horizon Nut, was appointed as the chair of the board. Additional officers include: Jonathan Hoff as first vice chair, David Stanfield as second vice chair and Amy Sihto as secretary/treasurer. 

California State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas named Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopezto the Coastal Commission. Alexa Bishopric joined the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Democratic staff as a professional staff member. Jimmy Emmons was named assistant chief of USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service.The Peterson Group hired former House Ag Committee Democratic staff director Anne Simmons as a policy consultant.

Jimmy Emmons was named assistant chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Caleb Crosswhite joined USDA as deputy general counsel. The Peterson Group hired former House Ag Committee Democratic staff director Anne Simmons as a policy consultant. 

The American Feed Industry Association hired Greg Conner as senior manager of multilateral affairs and market access. Mallory Gaines was promoted to director of global affairs. Three new senior advisers were named to the Surface Transportation Board: Sharon Clark, Rob Reilly, and Chris Bertram. The Midwest Council on Agriculture appointed former undersecretary Greg Ibach as a policy adviser. 

House Republicans continue struggling to reach agreement on their sweeping budget bill, but the measure is at least out of committee and headed to the House floor.