President Trump says he will sign the $333 billion bipartisan funding bill that Congress passed overwhelmingly yesterday to avoid another government shutdown. The bill combines seven appropriations packages to fund the government through the remainder of the fiscal year. This includes funding for USDA, Food and Drug Administration, Interior, Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies affected by the earlier shutdown.

President Trump says he was not happy with the bill and plans to declare a national emergency to be able to build the wall he has been advocating since 2016. This could end up in the courts.

The funding bill provides the USDA $23.04 billion in discretionary funds which is $32 million more than last fiscal year. It increases funding for agricultural research and Farm Service Agency programs. The bill prohibits the closure of local FSA offices.

The conference report directs the USDA and the FDA to formalize a joint framework for regulating cell-based protein production within 60 days of the bill becoming law.

Buy American agriculture bill to be introduced
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) announces she will introduce the “Buy American Agriculture Act.” The legislation would require the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service to only purchase food products from American companies when such products are available in sufficient quality and quantity.

DeLauro says, “Recent news that millions of USDA’s trade aid dollars were awarded to foreign-owned companies betrays American family farmers, ranchers and taxpayers. It is outrageous that USDA can award multi-million-dollars contracts to foreign companies with little regard for American businesses.”

Trade authority act to limit presidential power
Legislation was introduced in the House and Senate that would limit the president’s authority to impose tariffs for national security purposes. President Trump used national security as the reason to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.

Tariffs Hurt the Heartland, a coalition of over 150 trade associations, says, “It’s long past time to restore common sense to the process of slapping tariffs on our trading partners, especially at a time when those tariffs are hitting our allies. The bills recently introduced represent important and necessary checks on Section 232 authority that’s increasingly being abused under the administration. Providing congressional oversight would help limit the likelihood that the critical imports that American businesses, consumers and farmers rely on are wrongly targeted as ‘national security threats.’ It should also be a stern message to the administration that Section 232 tariffs on autos would be a colossal mistake, and that the steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico must end.”

The “Bicameral Congressional Trade Authority Act of 2019,” would require the president to submit to Congress any proposal to adjust imports in the interest of national security under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Congress would have to give approval before a president could take trade actions such as tariffs and quotas under Section 232. Current law allows a president to take action without Congressional approval.

A competing bill was introduced in the House that would expand the president’s authority to impose tariffs.

House ag subcommittee members announced
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Ranking Member Mike Conaway (R-TX) announce the membership of the various subcommittees. They are:

Commodity Exchanges, Energy and Credit

Democratic members:
Chairman David Scott, Georgia
Jeff Van Drew, New Jersey
Filemon Vela, Texas
Stacey Plaskett, U.S. Virgin Islands
Abigail Spanberger, Virginia
Antonio Delgado, New York
Angie Craig, Minnesota
Sean Patrick Maloney, New York
Ann Kirkpatrick, Arizona
Cindy Axne, Iowa

Republican members:
Ranking Member Austin Scott, Georgia
Rick Crawford, Arkansas
Mike Bost, Illinois
David Rouzer, North Carolina
Roger Marshall, Kansas
Neal Dunn, Florida
Dusty Johnson, South Dakota
Jim Baird, Indiana

Livestock and Foreign Agriculture

Democratic members:
Chairman Jim Costa, California
Anthony Brindisi, New York
Jahana Hayes, Connecticut
TJ Cox, California
Angie Craig, Minnesota
Josh Harder, California
Filemon Vela, Texas
Stacey Plaskett, U.S. Virgin Islands
Salud Carbajal, California
Cheri Bustos, Illinois

Republican members:
Ranking Member David Rouzer, North Carolina
Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania
Scott DesJarlais, Tennessee
Vicky Hartzler, Missouri
Trent Kelly, Mississippi
James Comer, Kentucky
Roger Marshall, Kansas
Don Bacon, Nebraska
Jim Hagedorn, Minnesota

Nutrition, Oversight and Department Operations

Democratic members:
Chairwoman Marcia L. Fudge, Ohio
Jim McGovern, Massachusetts
Alma Adams, North Carolina
Jahana Hayes, Connecticut
Kim Schrier, Washington
Jeff Van Drew, New Jersey
Al Lawson, Jr., Florida
Jimmy Panetta, California

Republican members:
Ranking Member Dusty Johnson, South Dakota
Scott DesJarlais, Tennessee
Rodney Davis, Illinois
Ted Yoho, Florida
Don Bacon, Nebraska
Jim Hagedorn, Minnesota

General Farm Commodities and Risk Management

Democratic members:
Chairman Filemon Vela, Texas
Angie Craig, Minnesota
David Scott, Georgia
Al Lawson, Jr., Florida
Jeff Van Drew, New Jersey

Republican members:
Ranking Member Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania
Austin Scott, Georgia
Rick Crawford, Arkansas
Rick Allen, Georgia
Ralph Abraham, Louisiana

Biotechnology, Horticulture and Research

Democratic members:
Chairwoman Stacey Plaskett, U.S. Virgin Islands
Antonio Delgado, New York
TJ Cox, California
Josh Harder, California
Anthony Brindisi, New York
Jeff Van Drew, New Jersey
Kim Schrier, Washington
Chellie Pingree, Maine
Salud Carbajal, California
Jimmy Panetta, California
Sean Patrick Maloney, New York
Al Lawson, Jr., Florida

Republican members:
Ranking Member Neal Dunn, Florida
Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania
Vicky Hartzler, Missouri
Doug LaMalfa, California
Rodney Davis, Illinois
Ted Yoho, Florida
Mike Bost, Illinois
James Comer, Kentucky
Jim Baird, Indiana

Conservation and Forestry

Democratic members:
Chairwoman Abigail Spanberger, Virginia
Marcia L. Fudge, Ohio
Tom O’Halleran, Arizona
Chellie Pingree, Maine
Cindy Axne, Iowa

Republican members:
Ranking Member Doug LaMalfa, California
Rick Allen, Georgia
Ralph Abraham, Louisiana
Trent Kelly, Mississippi

Farm payments to reach $17.2 billion
The Congressional Budget Office is estimating government payments to producers will reach $17.2 billion in Fiscal Year 2019. The main reason for the increase is the one-time $9.8 billion in trade assistance. This will be the highest level of commodity payments since 2006.

Source: P. Scott Shearer, who is solely responsible for the information provided, and wholly owns the information. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.