Labor

Daybreak July 31: E15 expected to be in farm bill

noah@agri-pulse.com — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 09:39:51 -0400

The Senate Agriculture Committee is planning to add an E15 measure to the proposed farm bill that Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., seeks to advance through his panel by the end of next week, people familiar with the matter say. Marcos Carias, an economist for Coface for North American trade, tells Agri-Pulse that President Donald Trump’s 50% tariffs on Canadian dairy, wine and automobiles aren’t a strong enough negotiation tool to force Canada to open its dairy tariff-rate-quota to U.S. producers.

Daybreak July 17: Trump pushes for election bill

lydia@agri-pulse.com — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:28:55 -0400

President Donald Trump called on Congress to pass the SAVE America Act and urged Americans to call Capitol Hill and demand action on the bill that would require photo identification to vote in federal elections. The House Budget Committee has favorably reported its $95 billion reconciliation 3.0 package, which would provide up to $12 billion in farm aid, $10 billion for the GOP’s signature Save America Act and a total of $73 billion for the war with Iran.

Loss of Haitians due to Supreme Court decision poised to hit ag and food industries

steve@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:12:00 -0400

A recent Supreme Court decision ending Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of Haitians would have ripple effects across the economy, affecting the agriculture and food industries and other sectors, according to immigrant advocacy groups.

Q&A: Brashears outlines USDA’s food safety priorities amid screwworm response

lydia@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:09:00 -0400

USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety Mindy Brashears sits down with Agri-Pulse to discuss the agency's response to the spread of New World screwworm, as well as its broader agenda that includes Salmonella reform, line-speed regulations, support for small meat processors and expanded use of Product of USA labeling.

USDA's reorganization plans for FNA, ARS, other agencies unlawful, groups claim

steve@agri-pulse.com — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 13:55:28 -0400

A coalition including unions and nonprofits is challenging the Agriculture Department’s reorganization of agencies including the Food and Nutrition Administration and Agricultural Research Service, citing the department's own plan to allege that the reorganization is specifically designed to reduce personnel.

Daybreak July 2: Thompson optimistic about labor bill’s prospects

noah@agri-pulse.com — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 09:24:22 -0400

A bill to overhaul America’s H-2A agricultural guest worker program stands out from prior attempts thanks to a secure U.S. border, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson tells Agri-Pulse Newsmakers. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Wednesday the administration would not renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement, but the agreement is still in place.

For growers and employers, Thompson’s ag labor bill offers hope for long-sought workforce stability

lydia@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 06:09:00 -0400

Phil Glaize, a third-generation farmer in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, arrived in Washington this week with renewed optimism for long-needed ag labor reforms. Glaize and dozens of ag producers from across the country gathered on Capitol Hill Tuesday for the release of the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act.

Thompson unveils sweeping ag labor reform bill backed by broad farm coalition

lydia@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:31:14 -0400

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Pa., has unveiled legislation to significantly expand and modernize the H-2A agricultural guest worker program with the backing of more than 400 farm organizations, setting up what supporters hope will be the most significant opportunity for ag labor reform by Congress in years.

Daybreak Tuesday, June 30: Ag labor bill out today

noah@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 11:19:49 -0400

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Pa., will formally introduce his Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act today, setting up what supporters hope will be the most significant opportunity for ag labor reform by Congress in years. The Supreme Court on Monday affirmed the president’s ability to fire the leaders of several independent agencies at will, overturning a 91-year-old precedent that had shielded them from executive influence.

Washington Week Ahead: Agricultural trade and labor outlook in spotlight

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 17:15:31 -0400

Almost a third of all U.S. agricultural exports are on the line as the first joint review of the North American trade deal starts later this week. In Congress, debate over foreign farm workers begins anew with the unveiling of a plan to revamp ag labor law.

Daybreak June 25: Ag groups like Trump’s E15 push

noah@agri-pulse.com — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 09:01:14 -0400

President Donald Trump made the biggest pitch for year-round E15 since his first term, calling on Congress to include the pro-ethanol measure in a nearly $88 billion legislative package to fund a raft of items, including the Iran war and $11 billion in financial aid for farmers. Members of Clean Fuels Alliance America gathered on Capitol Hill this week to stress the need to pass legislation to expand biomass-based diesel use in ocean-going vessels.

Former USDA officials dispute Rollins' criticism of their screwworm efforts

steve@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 06:05:00 -0400

Former officials at USDA who dealt with New World screwworm as it advanced closer to the U.S. push back against criticism of the Biden administration's efforts leveled by Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins.

Daybreak June 11: USDA using terminated food programs to fund screwworm efforts

noah@agri-pulse.com — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:18:39 -0400

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the $1.3 billion fight against a potentially deadly livestock pest includes federal funds reallocated from a local food buying program. Rollins said USDA is “stretched” on using the Commodity Credit Corporation because the $30 billion annual cap has not been increased since 1987.

Rollins touts deregulation, nutrition reset and ag labor reforms to produce sector

lydia@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:25:55 -0400

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins used her time with the International Fresh Produce Association to highlight the administration’s deregulation push, as well as efforts to reshape federal nutrition policy, expand export markets, lower labor costs and support specialty crop producers.

Daybreak June 10: Ag labor draft bill would expand H-2A

noah@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 08:51:52 -0400

House Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., is calling to broaden a U.S. temporary agricultural worker program under an early draft of a proposed ag labor bill.

Daybreak June 9: Senate Ag’s farm bill gets pushed back

noah@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:28:08 -0400

The Senate Agriculture Committee is expected to consider a farm bill during the work period between July 4th and August recesses, Chair John Boozman, R-Ark., says. The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced the nomination of Glen Smith to be undersecretary of agriculture for rural development along party lines, setting the stage for a Senate floor vote.

Vaden, union clash over relocation of food and nutrition employees

steve@agri-pulse.com — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:04:34 -0400

Union members at USDA’s Food and Nutrition Administration – formerly the Food and Nutrition Service, or FNS – are pushing back against criticism by the Ag Department’s deputy secretary that their demands during relocation negotiations are unreasonable.

National Women in Agriculture study results released at Farm Bureau's ACE summit

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:03:37 -0400

The results from the pilot National Women in Agriculture study were revealed on Wednesday at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s ACE summit celebrating the International Year of the Woman Farmer, highlighting women's strengths and barriers to leadership.

Farm Journal releases report on dairy industry

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 06:02:00 -0400

Farm Journal released its annual State of the Dairy Industry report, detailing both the challenges and triumphs of the past year for dairy operators.

Daybreak May 22: SNAP showdown awaits

oliver@agri-pulse.com — Fri, 22 May 2026 09:37:51 -0400

A major fight on the cost structure of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will be waiting when senators return from a weeklong recess on June 1. A forthcoming farm bill proposal from the Senate Ag Committee won’t include controversial provisions on pesticide labeling and livestock welfare, a panel spokesperson tells Agri-Pulse.

Judge denies injunction request to halt new farmworker wage rates

steve@agri-pulse.com — Thu, 14 May 2026 17:28:21 -0400

An attempt by United Farm Workers to block lower wage rates for farm laborers has been rejected by a federal judge.

Farmworker wage bill fuels broader clash over H-2A labor in California agriculture

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 13 May 2026 07:03:00 -0400

A proposed $19.75 per hour farmworker wage floor is fueling a broader fight over California agriculture’s reliance on H-2A labor and rising production costs.

H-2A wage rule could save California growers $100M

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 13 May 2026 07:02:00 -0400

A new analysis estimates California growers could save more than $100 million this year under federal H-2A wage changes, but lower pay could complicate worker retention and morale.

USDA reorganization plans prompt concerns about loss of talent

steve@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 13 May 2026 06:07:00 -0400

The Agriculture Department is pressing ahead with its plan to reorganize agencies and relocate employees despite concerns about the loss of experienced personnel in a department that has already lost more than 15% of its workforce and questions about how well the restructured department will work.

Proposed settlement would limit Agri Stats' reporting

noah@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 13 May 2026 06:06:00 -0400

A proposed settlement generally bars Agri Stats from including chicken, turkey, and pork sales data in its reports.

Crawfish industry in a bind, AFBF warns

Wed, 06 May 2026 06:01:00 -0400

Rising costs, cheap imports and an unprecedented labor squeeze are converging with extreme weather to push Louisiana’s crawfish sector toward a breaking point, according to a new American Farm Bureau Federation analysis.

Ag overtime tax credit stalls again as Sacramento labor divide deepens

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:03:00 -0400

California’s fight over farmworker overtime is heating up again, as lawmakers reject a grower-backed tax credit proposal.

H-2A case bears on Labor Dept. enforcement authority

steve@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 06:05:00 -0400

In a case that could influence the scope of federal agencies’ enforcement authority, the Supreme Court will review a federal appeals court decision that found the Constitution barred the Labor Department from penalizing a New Jersey farm for H-2A violations.

Daybreak April 24: Officials keep China trip preparations guarded

oliver@agri-pulse.com — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:44:56 -0400

The Trump administration is keeping details on preparations for the president’s trip to China closely guarded.

USDA announces moves of food safety, research staff out of D.C. area

steve@agri-pulse.com — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:12:49 -0400

USDA food safety and scientific research personnel will be moved out of Washington to locations across the country, including to a new food safety center in Iowa.