Negotiations on a major new coronavirus relief package remain alive, but with the election less than two weeks away, Senate Republicans see little chance of passing a deal before a lame duck session in November or December at the earliest.

Farm groups that have been appealing to the federal government for years to address a labor shortage could finally see some action from the next Congress should Democrats win control of the government, but any expansion of access to foreign labor will likely come with strings attached.

USDA’s Farmers to Families Food Box program needs to eventually give way to more established government nutrition practices, Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue told a virtual gathering of the nation’s produce farmers Tuesday.