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Politico
3 days ago
- Business
- Politico
USDA's reorg rollout
Presented by With help from Jordan Wolman QUICK FIX — 'What are we trying to accomplish?': USDA chief Brooke Rollins is rolling out her department's reorganization plan — but not without some concern. — President Donald Trump secured a major trade deal with the European Union, narrowly avoiding a trade war that would hit U.S. farmers hard. — Republicans' plans to cut SNAP spending inspired one food policy wonk to run for Congress. IT'S MONDAY, JULY 28. Welcome to Morning Agriculture. I'm your host Grace Yarrow. Do you have any lunch plans? Send tips and thoughts on USDA's reorg to gyarrow@ and follow us at @Morning_Ag for more. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Driving the day WHAT'S NEXT FOR USDA REORG: The Senate Agriculture Committee will hear from USDA's No. 2 official Wednesday about the department's reorganization plan, which includes shifting much of its Washington-area staff to five hubs around the country. The hearing — featuring Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden — comes after the panel's top two lawmakers expressed disappointment that Congress wasn't consulted before the announcement. As you'll recall: On Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins unveiled her plan to significantly shrink the size of the department's D.C.-based employees and close several USDA buildings in the capital region. Committee Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) and ranking member Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) both called for a hearing shortly after the plan was made public to better understand the details of Rollins' decision. 'I'm more concerned about just the efficiency,' Boozman said in a brief interview with MA last week. 'What are we trying to accomplish?' More details: Rollins said Friday that her 'best guess' is that 50 to 70 percent of USDA workers based in the Washington area will relocate to the five new hubs. Rollins, speaking on Fox News' 'America's Newsroom,' said USDA may fill vacant positions with people based in the areas of Salt Lake City; Fort Collins, Colorado; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Missouri; and Raleigh, North Carolina. 'Our best guess is that perhaps 50 to 70 percent of our Washington, D.C., staff will want to move — they will actually take that relocation,' she said. Pack your bags: Rollins suggested that the USDA workers based in the capital region who don't relocate should seek jobs in the private sector. 'The economy is beginning to thrive again,' she said. 'The golden age is here. President Trump's vision was always to move people out of these government jobs, where maybe it isn't the most productive use, into the private sector.' Rollins said in a video announcement to staff that employees will be notified of where they'll be expected to move in the 'coming months.' Some Republican senators — and Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis — have also noted that current residents of the five USDA hub cities would be willing to take the new job opportunities. 'Especially with the loss of federal jobs in other areas, we welcome the new Department of Agriculture jobs being moved to Colorado,' Polis said. But Rob Larew, president of the National Farmers Union, warned that the reorganization would result in 'significant staff turnover' and loss of institutional knowledge of career staff — especially given that around 15,000 department employees have already left or taken buyouts this year. You'll recall: Rollins' long-awaited reorganization plan, which was first reported by POLITICO, calls for moving more than half of USDA's 4,600 Washington-area staff 'closer to' farmers, ranchers and foresters. More than 90 percent of USDA's nearly 100,000 employees already work outside the Beltway. Some related reading: The Trump administration this spring sought the ability to conduct mass layoffs at more than a dozen agencies, according to a new court filing that reveals what parts of the federal government were in the crosshairs of the White House's cost-cutting efforts — and which could be again now that the Supreme Court has cleared a legal block to staff reductions across the federal government. According to a Thursday court declaration filed in the Northern District of California, the administration sought the go-ahead to lay people off at 17 agencies and departments, including at USDA. Read the full story from our Sam Ogozalek here. MAHA MOMENT OUT NOW: FDA Commissioner Marty Makary defended the Trump administration's efforts to crack down on artificial food dyes, despite criticism from some Make America Healthy Again advocates that doing so doesn't address the root cause of chronic health issues. 'We want to create a different standard, and we want to have eyes on these new chemicals,' Makary said in an interview with POLITICO's Dasha Burns for 'The Conversation.' 'I think you win more bees with honey than fire.' Don't miss the full episode with Makary here. TRADE CORNER A BIG DEAL: President Donald Trump announced a preliminary trade agreement with the European Union Sunday, skirting a trade war that threatened to hurt farmers and opening new market opportunities for U.S. agriculture. The agreement locks in U.S. tariffs of 15 percent on most imports from the EU, fending off Trump's threat to raise tariffs on most EU goods to 30 percent on Aug. 1. Details are still to come for major food and ag industries, including the alcohol industry which relies heavily on trade to meet U.S. consumer demand. Trump promised in remarks Sunday that agriculture is among the top two winning industries of the deal. 'I think maybe cars would be the one that would go the biggest. And the second would be agriculture, the farmers,' he said. Relief for farmers? The EU's 27 nations drew up a list of U.S. goods — including soybeans and Kentucky bourbon — that would face retaliatory tariffs of up to 30 percent. Those were due to enter force from Aug. 7 onward, absent a deal between the two leaders. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed the significance of the $1.7 trillion transatlantic trade relationship — the world's largest — and appealed to Trump to do the biggest deal that either of them have ever done, as our colleagues write. 'We have a trade deal between the two largest economies in the world, and it's a big deal. It's a huge deal,' she said. Worth watching: Trump also said that steel and aluminum from the EU would continue to be subject to 50 percent tariffs — which could impact input prices for farmers who rely on steel-based equipment or manufacturers that use the materials to package their goods. 2026 Watch CAMPAIGNING ON SNAP CUTS: A food aid policy wonk is running for Congress in response to Republicans' recent cuts to the nation's largest anti-hunger program. Salaam Bhatti has entered a crowded Democratic primary to eventually challenge GOP Rep. Rob Wittman in Virginia's 1st District, a seat that national Democrats have deemed a priority for flipping. He's arguing that the megalaw, which President Donald Trump signed earlier this month, will 'upend' lives as it forces millions of families off the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. And he thinks he's the best messenger on how to move forward in the face of those cuts. How he got here: Bhatti's experience growing up in a low-income family and relying on school meals to get by inspired him to work in the food aid space. While at the Virginia Poverty Law Center, he helped lead a bipartisan push to expand SNAP access to more than 25,000 Virginia households. Bhatti most recently served as SNAP director at the Food Research & Action Center, an anti-hunger nonprofit, where he tried to warn lawmakers against slashing the program in Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.' He faces an uphill battle — given his lack of name recognition and donor base — in order to beat his primary opponents, let alone Wittman, who won his race last year by about 13 percentage points. 'The bill pushed me over the edge,' Bhatti told our Jordan Wolman in an interview. 'I've always wanted to run for office. I never wanted to force it, but the way that the working class has been neglected in Congress required a working class champion to come in and fight.' This interview has been edited for length and clarity. While working at the Virginia Poverty Law Center, how did you get state Republicans to support expanding SNAP eligibility? Anti-hunger advocates, when it comes to working with Republicans, don't really have the power. So we brought in banks, health insurance companies, county organizations, city organizations, people who can talk about the budget, and the grocery stores as well. And so we were all able to say, 'Hey, listen, we all agree hunger is bad. It impacts all of us in some different way. So let's let them know that SNAP expansion is helping working families, and it's going to bring this much money into your district, into the stores, and that's going to have a great ripple effect.' When the elected officials heard all that ... that really helped propel them to vote for the bill. Your experience with SNAP in particular is significant. What about the bill's changes to SNAP do you feel is so devastating? The bill has the potential to end SNAP. There is a provision in there that shifts the cost of the benefit to the states. When it comes to figuring out where that money is going to come from, there's only three options. One is to increase taxes. Two is to shift money from other programs. No other agency is going to give up their already underfunded money. And third is to bring the SNAP expansion down to default levels and reduce how many people are receiving [benefits]. And if even that's not enough, then complete withdrawal from the program. And you think that's a possibility in Virginia. It's absolutely a possibility in Virginia. And other states, too. Read the full Q&A exclusively for Pro subscribers here. Transitions The Pet Food Institute has promoted Atalie Ebersole to vice president of government relations and Dana Waters to director of international affairs. Row Crops — Capping off all the other horrors in wartime Gaza is the food-distribution situation that has prevailed since late May. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid in Gaza since late May, according to the United Nations. (The Atlantic) — After ICE raided a Nebraska meatpacking plant, the company's leaders are wondering how to stay afloat with only half their workforce. (The New York Times) — Your açaí bowl or smoothie is about to get extra pricey, unless the Trump administration and Brazilian government reach a deal to avoid a 50 percent tariff on imports from Brazil that kicks in Aug. 1. (Reuters) — The Commerce Department on Friday announced its final decision raising anti-dumping duties on most Canadian lumber imports to 20.56 percent, to offset unfairly low prices and Canadian government subsidies, our Ari Hawkins writes. THAT'S ALL FOR MA! Drop us a line and send us your agriculture job announcements or events: gyarrow@ marciabrown@ jwolman@ sbenson@ rdugyala@ and gmott@
Politico
21-07-2025
- Business
- Politico
Farmers' tariff patience wears thin
Presented by With help from Samuel Benson and Marcia Brown QUICK FIX — How long will farmers' 'wait and see' attitude toward President Donald Trump's tariffs last? — The rollout of Republicans' reconciliation megabill will hit small, independent grocers hard. — A co-director of one recently-axed Regional Food Business Center talks about what the program's end will mean for rural communities. IT'S MONDAY, JULY 21. Welcome to Morning Agriculture. I'm your host Grace Yarrow, hoping you all celebrated National Ice Cream Day appropriately. Send tips to gyarrow@ or on Signal at gracemy.31 and follow us at @Morning_Ag for more. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Driving the day HOW LONG WILL 'WAIT AND SEE' LAST? Farmers' patience with President Donald Trump could be waning as they scramble to understand and brace for a looming trade war ahead of harvest season for many major U.S. commodities. Trump has sent out dozens of letters to trading partners — and key ag importers like the European Union, Japan and South Korea — warning them of the tariff rate they will face in coming weeks. Time is running out for the administration to prove that those threats will pay off before hurting already-struggling farmers. Senate Ag Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) said that farmers have had a 'wait and see' attitude towards the tariffs, trusting the Trump administration's work to get new trade deals done to open new markets. But, he added, farmers are 'anxious' in light of the president's slew of new tariff threats. Trump's farm state allies on Capitol Hill have stood by his ultimate goal of securing new markets for farmers, but it's not clear how long their patience will last. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) told MA that farmers need to 'grab a hoe and hold on.' 'Our farmers are in trouble,' he told MA last week. 'They're in bad trouble. I don't know whether there's anything we can do to save them, unless these tariffs work, and I hope we can. We're going to do everything we possibly can.' Related reading: 'Trump's determination to barrel ahead with tariffs is forcing a growing number of Republican lawmakers to make an uncomfortable choice: defend the president's agenda or influential industries back home.' More on that from our Ari Hawkins and Daniel Desrochers here. Is time really running out? One ag advocate, granted anonymity to discuss concerns about the administration's tariff approach, said that Trump has about a month and a half to prove his trade plans are working before farmers start harvesting and selling their products. 'We're getting closer to harvest time,' the person said. 'We're getting to the point where those sales numbers are really going to matter, the prices are really going to matter. And we're coming into the fall with some limited trade deals.' Producers of top U.S. ag exports like corn and soybeans are gearing up to harvest and sell their products starting around August and September — and will be hit hard by any reciprocal tariffs or uncertainty caused by the state of Trump's trade negotiations. Another complication: The person added that agriculture lobbyists are struggling to ask the administration for carve-outs or support, as Trump himself is seemingly making calls on tariff plans without involving his Cabinet. 'Ultimately it's a good thing that other countries don't know what he's going to do. It's all subject to negotiations,' the person said. 'But the real challenge is that the only person whose word really matters here is Trump. … It doesn't matter what [Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins] says.' In the States LATEST IN MEGABILL FALLOUT: The deep cuts Republicans made to federal nutrition programs this summer are poised to devastate independent grocery stores that are central to many low-income communities, including those that voted for President Donald Trump. Food aid recipients often make up the majority of small grocers' customer base in remote areas and food deserts — places that have limited options for fresh, healthy food. But a central part of paying for the GOP policy megabill Trump signed on July 4 relied on slashing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the nation's largest anti-hunger initiative. Even though some provisions in the new law won't go into effect for another three years, others, like expanded work requirements for SNAP participants, could kick some families out of the program and hit the bottom lines of small grocery stores within months. It's a chain reaction set off in Washington that's likely to reshape how people access food in more isolated communities even if they don't use federal assistance. 'I lean pretty heavily right most of the time, but one of the things that I do lean to the left on is we're a pretty wealthy country, we can help people out,' said St. Johns, Arizona, Mayor Spence Udall, whose town overwhelmingly supported Trump in 2024. Don't miss the full story from MA's own Rachel Shin here. AROUND THE AGENCIES GOODBYE RURAL FOOD CENTERS: USDA's move last week to abruptly cancel remaining funding for a dozen centers serving farms and other rural companies will have a 'devastating' effect on food and farm businesses, according to the co-director of one of the targeted centers. Katie Nixon said Heartland Regional Food Business Center will trim its work significantly over the next 60 days and then close its doors entirely in August 2026. You all had this meeting [last Wednesday] where you learned about this decision to end the program. What was that like and what reasoning were you given? The reasoning given on the call was that the way it was organized was not in line with congressional approval or something like that. And then the press release came out, and it was like the just most ridiculous argument, saying that this was temporary funding anyways, so we're going to cancel it, because it's unfair to farmers to put temporary funding on the ground and then take it away, which makes no sense. Is there anything else you want people to know about the work that the centers did and why it mattered? We are in a country right now where those small businesses are not succeeding and they're not thriving, especially in food and farming. Our farming businesses are dropping left and right, and the consolidation of agriculture has become to the point where I don't even recognize what a farm is anymore to some degree. What the Regional Food Business Centers do is ground the work in the community and allow the professionals who help those businesses and who care about those businesses help them thrive. Read the full Q&A from our Marcia Brown here. Transitions Venus Welch-White, who served as acting head of EPA's Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, has joined CropLife America as director of government relations. Emma Simon is now digital director for the House Ag Committee Democratic staff. She most recently was a content producer for Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and is a Jamaal Bowman and More Perfect Union alum. Row Crops — First in MA: The Center for the Environment and Welfare, an industry group that counsels companies and consumers on animal welfare and other policy issues, is placing an anti-Prop. 12 ad in print version of The Hill coinciding with the House Ag Committee's Wednesday hearing on how to reverse the California animal welfare law in the upcoming farm bill package. — Kellogg, the maker of Froot Loops and Apple Jacks, will cut synthetic dyes from its cereals by the end of 2027. — The Senate Agriculture Committee will vote today on advancing Brian Quintenz's nomination to become CFTC chair and other USDA nominations, our Declan Harty reports. — More cities and states are experimenting with the concept of publicly-supported grocery stores in low-income neighborhoods. But those stores are still struggling. (The Washington Post) THAT'S ALL FOR MA! Drop us a line and send us your agriculture job announcements or events: gyarrow@ marciabrown@ jwolman@ sbenson@ rdugyala@ and gmott@
Politico
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
SNAP slashes near finish line
With help from Meredith Lee Hill QUICK FIX — A Senate GOP carve-out to protect Hawaii and Alaska from deep SNAP cuts could make or break Republicans' chances of passing their megabill this week. — A trade group representing pesticide manufacturers is demanding that MAHA leaders reverse course and offer a full-throated defense of pesticide use. — A federal investigator upheld allegations that USDA long allowed excessive dirt and grime, mold and lack of drinkable water at a research facility in Maryland. IT'S MONDAY, JUNE 30. Welcome to Morning Agriculture. I'm your host Grace Yarrow, wondering where June went. Send tips to gyarrow@ and follow us at @Morning_Ag for more. FIRST UP: MA is delighted to announce the addition of Rachel Shin to our agriculture policy reporting team. Rachel recently graduated from Yale and is joining us as an intern this summer. Shower her with tips, story ideas and greetings at rshin@ Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Driving the day THREE BIG THINGS TO KNOW: Republicans are hustling to pass their megabill package — with a major overhaul to the nation's largest anti-hunger program — before July 4. Here's what you need to know. First, the Senate has scheduled its megabill vote to begin at 9 a.m. Second, the Senate Agriculture Committee is still waiting for the chamber's parliamentarian to approve or rule against a new provision that temporarily exempts Alaska and Hawaii from its SNAP cost-share plan. Republican and Democratic committee staff will submit their arguments in writing and are expecting to get a decision from the parliamentarian Monday morning. (More on that below.) And third, the GOP is bracing for a floor fight over the $67 billion farm bill package they tucked into the megabill, as our Meredith Lee Hill writes. Dozens of agriculture groups sent a letter Sunday night opposing a new amendment from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) over his long-running push to limit the income thresholds of farmers who can receive federal aid from key farm bill programs. Some farm-state Republicans are concerned that a swath of more liberal senators could join with conservative fiscal hawks to muster enough votes to pass the amendment, or risk it getting close. One note: Grassley's amendment does not touch the expansion of access to disaster assistance and conservation payments, as ag groups claim in the letter. That section was removed from the amendment. Some more context: The new megabill text grants the Agriculture secretary authority to waive the Alaska's and Hawaii's cost-share requirement for up to two years if they are 'actively implementing' a plan to lower their payment error rates, which is what will be used to calculate how much of SNAP states will need to fund, as our Samuel Benson wrote Saturday. Alaska's SNAP error rate was over 60 percent and Hawaii's was over 20 percent as of fiscal year 2023, which is the latest available data. Alaska's two Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, have spent the past several weeks pushing their colleagues to provide an exception for their state. If the parliamentarian does strip out the cushions for Alaska and Hawaii to protect constituents from SNAP cuts, Murkowski or other nervous Republicans may try to strip the cost-share proposal entirely on the floor, which could eliminate a critical pay-for for the megabill. In the House: Some fiscal hawks are already sounding alarms and threatening to vote against the Senate's scaled-back SNAP spending Chip Roy (R-Texas), who's expressed concerns about the Senate's smaller SNAP slashes, also slammed the bill's 'giveaways' to Alaska. 'So instead of fixing the problem and paying their fair share, the Alaska Senators are demanding the taxpayers from other states give them a special grant,' Roy posted on X. House lawmakers are gearing up to vote on the bill as soon as Wednesday morning — barring any derailments in the Senate. What Rollins is saying: Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has been an outspoken advocate for the megabill, calling it a 'win across every lane of policy' for farmers during a Fox News interview Friday. She also criticized the Senate's parliamentarian during the interview for stripping out certain pieces of the GOP plans in compliance with Senate rules. 'The hood has been lifted. We have a Democratic policy person, that was appointed by a Democrat, who is stopping big parts of the bill and that has to change,' she said. What Dems are doing: Senators will have an opportunity to raise amendments to the megabill during the vote-a-rama process today (send coffee!). Some Senate Democrats told MA last week that they're planning to be loud in their opposition to the SNAP cuts this week and look to address their concerns through ag-related amendments in the vote-a-rama. 'I have amendments that I intend to file to address this through the reconciliation process,' said Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.). 'But my Republican colleagues have a decision to make: Are they going to stand up for Donald Trump and his agenda, or are they going to stand up for their own people?' MAHA MOMENT PESTICIDE DEMANDS: A group representing pesticide producers is asking MAHA leaders to reverse their stance on pesticide use and offer a full-throated defense for the science behind it, according to a letter first obtained by POLITICO. CropLife America sent the 12-page letter, which includes 17 policy recommendations, to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday. The group said it would follow up in one week to meet with Kennedy's team to discuss the suggestions. 'While the May 22 Initial Assessment was well intended, it includes misleading and alarmist statements about pesticides — and calls into question the safety of the very foods critical for the healthy development of children,' said Alexandra Dunn, president and CEO of CropLife, in a statement. Read the full scoop from Rachel and your host here. Key transition: Kyle Kunkler starts today as deputy assistant administrator for pesticides at the EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, our Ellie Borst writes for POLITICO's E&E News. Kunkler previously directed government affairs for the American Soybean Association, a commodity group advocating against a crackdown on pesticides that Kennedy and MAHA allies are eyeing. Prior to joining ASA, Kunkler led federal government relations for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization's food and agriculture team. Kunkler's appointment follows a pattern of senior-level Trump administration appointees who came from jobs lobbying or litigating on behalf of industry groups they are now responsible for regulating, despite President Donald Trump denouncing corporate influence over agencies last month for the White House's release of the MAHA report. AROUND THE AGENCIES DIRT AND GRIME AT USDA: The federal agency that investigates government whistleblower complaints has upheld allegations that USDA long allowed unsafe work conditions at its research facility in Beltsville, Maryland. In a letter to President Donald Trump, the Office of Special Counsel recommended whistleblower payments to USDA employees who complained in 2023 of conditions including excessive dirt and grime, peeling paint, mold, and lack of drinkable water. How we got here: Then-Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack addressed the complaints after an internal investigation by diverting $50 million from new building construction to fixing the issues at the Beltsville facility. Employees credited the USDA with responding to the troubles and making a start on improving the conditions, according to the OSC letter. The three employees who together reported the conditions had leadership roles with the American Federation of Government Employees, a labor union representing USDA workers. They'd complained that facility managers allowed conditions to deteriorate since 2017. USDA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. According to the OSC, the agency substantiated most of the whistleblowers' complaints but disagreed with their contention that the poor conditions resulted in loss and improper handling of equipment, research and data. Read the full story from Marc Heller for POLITICO's E&E News here. Row Crops — Failed state efforts to crack down on intoxicating hemp — a problem created by a loophole in the 2018 farm bill — highlight how messy the issue has become, our Arek Sarkissian and Mona Zhang write. — Five high-ranking Greek government officials resigned Friday following allegations of their involvement in mismanagement of EU farming subsidies. (The Associated Press) — Trump won't let other countries score big 'wins'' in trade talks. Both sides could lose, write our Daniel Desrochers and Megan Messerly. — House Ag Republican Dusty Johnson is expected to announce a bid for South Dakota governor today, our Meredith Lee Hill reports. — The Wall Street Journal profiles the '33-Year-Old Meat Heir Feeding America's Protein Obsession.' THAT'S ALL FOR MA! Drop us a line and send us your agriculture job announcements or events: gyarrow@ marciabrown@ jwolman@ sbenson@ rdugyala@ and gmott@
Politico
23-06-2025
- Business
- Politico
Senate Ag's math problem
Presented by With help from Samuel Benson, Jordain Carney, Ari Hawkins QUICK FIX — Senate Republicans are scrambling to salvage their reconciliation plans after the chamber's parliamentarian rejected their proposal to push SNAP costs onto states. — Amid anxiety about immigration raids on farms, President Donald Trump said he's exploring policies for farmers to 'take responsibility' for their workers' legal statuses. — The Trump administration is weighing an executive order to move programs from USDA's Rural Development agency to the Small Business Administration. IT'S MONDAY, JUNE 23. Welcome to Morning Agriculture. I'm your host Grace Yarrow. Send tips to gyarrow@ and follow your favorite ag team at @Morning_Ag for more. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Driving the day BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD: Senate Republicans' plan to force states to share the cost of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to pay for their policy megabill has been halted by the chamber's rules, leaving lawmakers scrambling for backup plans and other ways to cut agriculture spending. The Senate parliamentarian determined that the cost-sharing plan would violate the so-called Byrd Rule, which limits what can be included in the reconciliation process, and would be subject to a 60-vote filibuster threshold, as yours truly wrote. The Senate Ag Committee introduced a scaled-back version of the House GOP's cost-sharing plan earlier this month. Without it, Senate Republicans will struggle to find enough cuts to pay for their policy priorities and the $67 billion farm bill package they included. They're staring down a deadline of delivering the megabill to President Donald Trump's desk by July 4, meaning they need to introduce and pass the bill this week before heading home for next week's recess. Republicans are hoping to finalize bill text as soon as tonight and begin moving the legislation as soon as Wednesday. What now? Senate Ag Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) and his staff are exploring how to revamp the cost-share plan so that it could survive the Byrd Rule. But it's not clear what could receive the parliamentarian's stamp of approval while maintaining the committee's net $150 billion or so in savings. Boozman's other options aren't much easier: The committee could look to directly cut SNAP benefits by reversing Biden-era increases to the program or abandon the expensive farm bill programs, which have the backing of powerful ag lobbying groups and farmers. Republicans could also simply move forward with a bill containing smaller slashes, meaning less money for Republicans to spend on tax cuts and immigration policy — but that would ruffle feathers among fiscal hawks in the House who are already worried the megabill won't go far enough to reduce spending. Other droppings: The Senate parliamentarian also struck measures that would remove SNAP eligibility for immigrants who are not lawful permanent residents. Another Byrd dropping is the extension of a key farm bill provision that allows federal officials to update farm payment programs, meaning a heavier lift for lawmakers when they attempt to pass a farm bill later this year. Dems' victory lap: Senate Ag Democratic staff, led by ranking member Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) challenged the cost-sharing proposal and other key pieces of the GOP-led bill during a bipartisan meeting with the parliamentarian Thursday. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the ruling a 'small but important win' as Democrats look to battle the partisan policy package with minimal legislative leverage. Schumer added in a statement that even without the cost-sharing plan, the megabill 'still includes the most brutal assault to food assistance in American history.' Klobuchar also said in a statement that the remainder of the bill will 'still be devastating to families, farmers, and independent grocers across the country.' At the White House HAPPY, HEALTHY AND FAT: President Donald Trump said he's looking for farmers to 'take responsibility for the people that they hire' as ag business groups are increasingly anxious about how ICE raids will impact farm workers. Trump told reporters that the administration doesn't 'want to hurt people that aren't criminals.' 'You've had people that have worked on farms for 20 years, it's very hard to go in there and say, you know, 'you're coming out.' But we're going to let the farmers take responsibility, they're great people, they'll do it, they know the good and the bad,' Trump said. His remarks came just days after the Department of Homeland Security abruptly reversed its guidance to pause raids on farms, restaurants and hotels, after the Trump administration initially planned to exempt those worksites from immigration enforcement efforts. 'I never want to hurt our farmers. Our farmers are great people,' Trump said. 'They keep us happy and healthy and fat.' Reality check: Forty-two percent of all U.S. crop workers are undocumented, according to USDA estimates from 2022. And ICE has reached well beyond violent offenders as they work to meet an aggressive goal of arresting 3,000 people per day. IN MORE LABOR NEWS: The Labor Department is pausing enforcement of a 2024 rule relating to H-2A visas, effectively shelving the Biden administration's overhaul of the seasonal migrant labor program, our Samuel Benson writes. The rule, which took effect in June 2024, increased wage transparency and offered workers limited union representation and protections against labor trafficking. Three federal courts issued preliminary injunctions against the rule, blocking enforcement of certain provisions or the entire rule in certain regions across the country. DOL said it was suspending enforcement because the injunctions sparked 'legal uncertainty, inconsistency, and operational challenges' for farmers. AROUND THE AGENCIES RURAL DEVELOPMENT TURF WAR: The Trump administration is weighing whether to transfer some programs from USDA's Rural Development agency to the Small Business Administration, according to documents obtained by POLITICO. Staff at the Small Business Administration drafted an executive order for Trump that would give SBA control over three programs in the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, which offers grants, loan guarantees and other capital products. Internal tensions: USDA officials pushed back against the proposal in a briefing memo meant for Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, arguing that SBA is not equipped to handle those programs and that transferring them would detract from the administration's priorities. Top officials from Rollins' office met to discuss the draft executive order on June 12, according to the documents. USDA spokesperson Alec Varsamis said Rollins has not reviewed the memo, which he described as 'pre-decisional, scenario planning documents.' Read the full scoop from our Marcia Brown here. TRADE CORNER TOMATO, TOMATO, LET'S CALL THE WHOLE THING OFF: Farm groups and GOP lawmakers are making a last-ditch push to block a 20.91 percent duty on tomatoes set to kick in July 14 — putting them at odds with Florida Republicans backing the hike, as Commerce exits a deal with Mexico. Signed in 2019, the so-called 'Tomato Suspension Agreement' delayed anti-dumping duties approved by the U.S. International Trade Commission, replacing them with a new arrangement with Mexico. That duty is now set to return after Commerce announced in April it would not be renewed, claiming it 'failed to protect' U.S. growers from unfairly priced Mexican imports. Florida tomato growers, who export to most of the country and play a dominant role in the Eastern and Midwestern agriculture markets, have long called to terminate the agreement. But growers and producers elsewhere in the country defend the deal and the access it provides to lower-cost Mexican products. In the weeks since the surprise end of the deal, industry groups have stepped up outreach to pressure the Trump administration to change course, targeting officials from USDA, Commerce, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, as well as Republican lawmakers from the Sunbelt. 'We anticipate retail prices to go up,' said Tom Stenzel, executive director of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Alliance, which represents tomato growers in states around the country. 'You're not punishing some Mexican grower somewhere with this decision. This is going to come and hit U.S. consumers and U.S. companies.' Reminder: Florida growers have been battling Mexican tomato imports since at least 1994, when the North American Free Trade Agreement went into force, phasing out tariffs between the United States and Mexico. Since then, the Florida Tomato Exchange has periodically sought anti-dumping duties on Mexican tomatoes, claiming that they are unfairly priced. Row Crops — The Protect American Lamb Coalition is asking Trump to implement higher tariffs and tariff-rate quotas on imported lamb, calling the 'collapse' of the sheep industry a 'threat' to agriculture and national security. — Start your coffee pots: The House Appropriations Committee will reconvene tonight to continue debate on amendments to the Ag-FDA fiscal 2026 funding bill. — Authorities in western India are taking steps to improve labor conditions for sugar cane cutters after a court ruling and an investigation by The New York Times and The Fuller Project highlighted serious abuses of workers. (The New York Times) — USDA's wildland fire agency representatives raised the national fire preparedness level with a focus on prevention as peak fire season begins, Rollins announced Saturday. THAT'S ALL FOR MA! Drop us a line and send us your agriculture job announcements or events: gyarrow@ marciabrown@ jwolman@ sbenson@ rdugyala@ and gmott@
Politico
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Inside Trump's farm raid tensions
Presented by With help from Marcia Brown and Samuel Benson QUICK FIX — The Trump administration is looking to stop ICE raids on farms after backlash from agriculture allies. — Senate Democrats and nervous Republicans will have their sole chance to tweak the GOP-led agriculture cuts and farm investments during parliamentary discussions this week. — Climate journalist Michael Grunwald breaks down why agriculture's use of land is key to reducing the sector's climate impact. HAPPY MONDAY, JUNE 16. Welcome to Morning Agriculture. I'm your host Grace Yarrow. Send tips and your summer playlists to gyarrow@ and follow us at @Morning_Ag for more. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Driving the day TRUMP BENDS TO AG NEEDS: The Trump administration has paused ICE raids that would affect farms after intense pushback from key allies on Capitol Hill and in the president's Cabinet. Those allies — including top GOP ag policy leaders on Capitol Hill and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins — have denounced the potential impact of ICE's aggressive raids at farms and food facilities in California, New Mexico and Nebraska on food supply. The New York Times reported that Rollins called President Donald Trump last week to relay concerns from agriculture groups and farmers about how his sweeping crackdown would impact their businesses. Trump later instructed immigration enforcement officials to — largely — halt raids on farms, restaurants, hotels and meatpacking plants, per Reuters. Rollins posted on X Sunday that she's 'fully' supportive of Trump's immigration agenda after backlash from MAGA world and those who are supportive of Trump's sweeping deportation efforts without exceptions. 'Severe disruptions to our food supply would harm Americans,' she said. 'It took us decades to get into this mess and we are prioritizing deportations in a way that will get us out.' Trump promised in a Sunday night Truth Social post to 'expand efforts' to detain undocumented people in major cities rather than rural areas: 'You don't hear about Sanctuary Cities in our Heartland!' How we got here: The agriculture industry has historically relied on undocumented workers as well as migrant laborers on legal temporary visas. Agriculture industry and business groups have been sounding the alarm for months that Trump's immigration crackdown could exacerbate ongoing farm labor shortages. Earlier this year, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller promised Hill Republicans that DHS wouldn't raid farms or adversely affect farm labor, a senior GOP aide familiar with the conversation told MA. But recent raids have made the reality of Trump's plans clear to those representing agricultural interests in Congress and in the White House. House Agriculture Committee Chair G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.) said last week that the raids at farms and packing plants are 'just wrong.' 'Let's go after the criminals and give us time to put processes in place so we don't disrupt the food supply chain,' he said. Next policy steps: Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), whose bill to reform the H-2A agricultural worker visa program has garnered some bipartisan support in recent years, said he's hoping the president's eagerness to support farm labor will clear a path for a legislative fix. 'I take [Trump] at his word,' Newhouse told MA last week. 'He recognizes there's a challenge here for American agriculture, and he wants to fix it.' Newhouse told MA last week that he'll be working with other concerned colleagues to update the marker bill to address 'today's challenges.' The Farm Workforce Modernization Act, led by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Newhouse, has passed the House twice but failed to become law. 'I hate to jinx anything, but I feel very optimistic that this is the session we can get this done,' Newhouse said. Calling 'bullshit': The United Farm Workers released a statement saying that ICE is still 'hunting down farm workers' despite the reported pause from the Trump administration, pointing to a raid that happened on Friday in Southern California. 'If President Trump is serious about protecting our agricultural economy, then he needs to show not tell,' UFW President Teresa Romero said in an interview last week. On The Hill WHAT NOW? The Senate Ag Committee released its plans to cut agriculture and SNAP spending by $211 billion last week to pay for the GOP's policy megabill and $67 billion in farm programs. The bill has sparked concerns from all Senate Democrats and some Republicans, especially those from states with high error payment rates, whose home states could be forced to take on part of the cost of SNAP. The Senate Ag Committee won't hold a markup on the bill, so the next step is for panel Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.), committee ranking member Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and their staffs to hash out any necessary changes with the parliamentarian. The Ag Committee and other Senate committees are scheduled for bipartisan meetings with the chamber's parliamentarian this week. That will be Senate Democrats' lone chance to challenge or tweak the GOP-led bill before it heads to the Budget Committee and a floor vote. 'If the minority decides they want to try to challenge those [farm bill provisions] on Byrd principles, and have those kicked out ... that would reduce the investment for those programs, and I think it's hard to find another path forward to do that outside of this reconciliation process,' said a committee GOP aide granted anonymity to candidly discuss the negotiations. Republicans' concerns: GOP lawmakers in states like Alaska with higher error rates have privately expressed concerns about the plan that would require them to pay for at least part of SNAP if they have an error rate of more than 6 percent starting in the 2028 fiscal year. Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) told MA last week that senators are working with USDA and states with lower error rates to brainstorm ways for states to decrease error payments. 'We have ideas on that, because some states have really good systems and we can share that with them,' Hoeven said. 'I think we can make the [FY 2028 start date for the cost-sharing] work for the folks that are concerned.' Timing: Senate Republicans are hoping to have a bill they vote on by the week of June 23 and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has threatened to keep members in town during the Fourth of July recess if the bill isn't done. AGRICULTURE AND CLIMATE IT'S THE LAND, STUPID: In his forthcoming book, 'We Are Eating the Earth,' climate journalist Michael Grunwald explains that food's environmental impact isn't just about emissions — it's also about land, writes Marcia. We spoke with Grunwald, a climate journalist and occasional writer for POLITICO, about the need to make more food with less land, his hopes for meat alternatives and what America can learn from Denmark's agriculture climate policies. Why do you think we're still having this battle over whether ethanol is environmentally or climate friendly, if the science, as you write in your book, is settled? Well, the short answer is politics, right? The ag lobby has a lot of clout, not just in the U.S., but everywhere. We're even seeing it with the 'big, beautiful bill,' where, not only are they spending another $45 billion to expand biofuels while they're slashing a trillion dollars worth of just about every other clean — or supposedly clean — energy tax credit that [then-President Joe] Biden had had done in the Inflation Reduction Act, but they've got new language basically saying, 'Since corn ethanol doesn't pencil out, the government needs to put down its pencils. You can't look at the source of emissions, which is land use.' That is what makes this stuff so terrible for the climate. I would push back a little bit on the idea that the science is settled. It should be settled, but there are a lot of interests, even in the scientific community, that have really wanted to 'make fetch happen' when it comes to biofuels, and they've invested their careers in it. On your 'Climavores' podcast, you guys talked about farmers markets and the local food movement. You said: 'It's really better to buy from these really efficient mass market grocery stores.' Do you still think that? I got in trouble on that podcast. I said that farmers markets are like liberal NASCAR. It's like, a fun place to go, and you're with your people. Food miles are not the climate problem. The climate problem with our food problem is what we're eating, not how or where it's grown. I'm not an advocate of industrial agriculture, but I am an advocate of high-yield agriculture. We do need to make more food with less land so that we can save the Amazon, so we can feed the poor. That's not just a technocratic, hyper-rational, logical approach — that's a moral approach. Climate change sucks, and it's going to suck more for the people in the flood plains in Bangladesh than it is going to suck for you and me. Read the full interview here. AROUND THE AGENCIES TRUMP'S BIOFUELS PATH: The Trump administration proposed its first biofuel blending mandates on Friday, increasing volumes over the next two years to record levels but leaving open questions over exemptions from the mandates sought by small refiners, our Kelsey Tamborrino reports. The EPA's proposed volumes for 2026 and 2027 provide the first look into how the second Trump administration is positioning the future of the Renewable Fuel Standard. The program requires refiners to blend a minimum volume of renewable fuels into the nation's fuel mix or purchase tradable credits, known as renewable identification numbers, to comply. 'We are creating a new system that benefits American farmers while mitigating the impact on gas prices and ensuring the continued existence of liquid fuels,' EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement. 'We can no longer afford to continue with the same system where Americans pay for foreign competitors.' More context: The often-contentious program is closely watched by both the oil and agriculture industries for its impacts to crop demand and fuel prices. The Biden administration garnered criticism for some of its blending requirements, which were deemed inadequate by farm-state lawmakers and industry groups. Row Crops — Former first lady Michelle Obama's nutrition adviser Sam Kass on the rise of MAHA, from our Marcia Brown. — The text of the Senate GOP's tax package is expected to be unveiled today. — The FDA and CDC are investigating a multi-state salmonella outbreak linked to a pistachio cream product imported from Turkey. — HHS is planning a new campaign on ultra-processed foods and diabetes. THAT'S ALL FOR MA! Drop us a line and send us your agriculture job announcements or events: gyarrow@ marciabrown@ jwolman@ sbenson@ rdugyala@ and gmott@
