Washington Roundup – November 2024
By: Lowell Randel
Congress Returns for Lame Duck Session
In the wake of the 2024 election, Congress returned to Washington on November 12th with key unfinished business. Addressing appropriations for fiscal year 2025 is high on the list of priorities. The current continuing resolution to fund the federal government expires on December 20th. Congressional leaders will be considering whether to complete funding for the remainder of the fiscal year through an omnibus spending package or pass another short-term resolution pushing final decisions on funding levels to next year with a new Congress and President Trump in power. It is currently unclear which path Congress will take. In addition to appropriations, there will be efforts to pass disaster relief. President Biden has requested $98.6 billion in disaster relief, including $24 billion for USDA to assist producers and rural communities impacted by the deadly Hurricanes Helene and Milton and other disasters. There is bipartisan interest in advancing a disaster package, which could ultimately be attached to an omnibus spending bill or continuing resolution.
Another key piece of legislation that will need action during the lame duck is the Farm Bill. There is a sense of urgency in farm country for certainty going into a new crop year. Prior to the election, amidst pressure from stakeholders, House and Senate committee leaders met to discuss a potential pathway to move the Farm Bill before the end of the year. Given the results of the election, it is uncertain whether Democrats will be motivated to reach an agreement with Republicans while they still control the Senate, or whether Republicans will prefer to push the debate into 2025 when they have greater control of Congress and the White House. On November 18th, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Stabenow formally introduced her version of the Farm Bill entitled the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act. The legislation closely tracks the framework Stabenow released earlier in the year, but includes additional investments made possible by placing restrictions on the Commodity Credit Corporation. The House version of the bill also utilizes this mechanism to free up resources for the legislation. As a result, the Senate bill includes additional investments including $2.5 billion for agricultural research infrastructure under the Research Facilities Act (the same amount as the House bill). The Senate framework only provided $100 million for research infrastructure.
The number of legislative days remaining in 2025 is very limited, giving Congress a very narrow window to advance a Farm Bill this year. If Congress decides not to complete a new Farm Bill in the lame duck, they will need to pass an extension of the 2018 bill to avoid a reversion to permanent law when the new crop year begins in 2025. It appears that an extension is the most likely outcome, but committee leaders continue to state their preference to complete a new bill sooner rather than later. It is expected that an extension would cover the full crop year for 2025 to provide certainty and consistency across commodities and give Congress additional time to complete a new bill in 2025.
Registration Open for USDA’s 101st Agricultural Outlook Forum
On October 31st, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that registration is now open for the 101st Agricultural Outlook Forum. The event, titled “Meeting Tomorrow’s Challenges, Today,” will be held at the Crystal City Gateway Marriott on February 27-28, 2025. Additionally, all Forum sessions will be livestreamed on a virtual platform.
The Forum program will feature a presentation on the 2025 outlook for the U.S. agricultural economy and trade by USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer. The program will also include a plenary panel of distinguished guest speakers, alongside 30 breakout sessions organized by USDA agencies that will explore a wide range of current issues. Over one hundred experts from government, industry, and academia will provide insights on key topics such as commodity and food price forecasts, farm income, U.S. and global agricultural trade, the future of biofuels, climate change strategies, and advancements in biotechnology. The in-person event will also feature exhibit booths by different USDA agencies, providing attendees with information about recent USDA-funded innovations and the Department’s key programs and activities.
NIFA Publishes Climate Science Report
In November, NIFA released the publication entitled NIFA Climate Change Priority Team: Accomplishments and Action Agenda Report. The document highlights the agency’s activities to carry out the NIFA Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan. The new report provides descriptions and overviews of NIFA’s accomplishments to date in the following categories: climate change programming; strategic planning; organizational effectiveness; and stakeholder outreach and engagement. It highlights NIFA’s broad climate change-relevant funding opportunities, actions NIFA has taken to support staff and grantees, and where the agency plans to go next.
