The budget impasse that has closed down most of USDA and other agencies important to agriculture for more than four weeks reaches a new stage this week as Senate Republicans force a vote on President Donald Trump’s latest proposal to congressional Democrats.

President Donald Trump signed the new farm bill into law at a White House ceremony Thursday afternoon, calling it a "really tremendous victory" for American producers.

Farm bill negotiators plan to roll out the eagerly anticipated details of their agreement early this week with an eye toward getting the legislation to President Donald Trump's desk ahead of a showdown over his demands for funding the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

The Senate is poised to send Circuit Court Judge Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, following Sen. Susan Collins' announcement Friday afternoon that she will vote to confirm Kavanaugh.

The Senate has voted to end debate on Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, setting the stage for a vote Saturday on whether to confirm him.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pressed farm bill negotiators to finalize an agreement as quickly as possible, but House Republicans used the conference committee’s first formal meeting to continue to press senators to accept tighter work requirements for food stamp recipients.

More than 150 farm and agribusiness organizations are appealing to congressional farm bill negotiators to finish their work quickly.