For the second straight year, Democrats threatened but ultimately backed down from blocking Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue from getting a fresh pot of money to make payments to farmers.

Democrats reached a deal with the White House and congressional Republicans to replenish the Agriculture Department’s Commodity Credit Corp. account in exchange for banning CCC payments to oil companies and extending some pandemic-related nutrition assistance.

Congress must pass a new stopgap spending bill this week to avoid a government shutdown ahead of the Thanksgiving break, while House Democrats look to nail down a deal with the White House to clear the way for approval of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

A House stopgap spending bill aimed at avoiding an Oct. 1 government shutdown would ensure that trade assistance to farmers continues and also would bolster specialty crop research and fund USDA’s coming hemp program.

House Democrats are considering a stopgap spending bill that could prevent or slow delivery of President Trump's trade aid payments to farmers after the fiscal year ends Sept. 30.

The House and Senate approved a measure to fund the federal government through Jan. 19 but could not agree on disaster relief for areas devastated by hurricanes and wildfires.

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2017 - Sonny Perdue finally takes the reins of the Agriculture Department this week, and farm groups will get a meeting with President Trump to talk about their concerns.