USDA Caught In The Middle Of Wall Fight

House approval of bills to reopen USDA and other largely-shuttered federal agencies, has put on display how far apart the two sides are when it comes to ending the partial government shutdown, which now the longest in American history.  Roughly 800,000 federal workers failed to get paid this weekend, which many say has let to missed car payments, cell phone payments and additional stresses on the home front.

As we told you Monday, lawmakers looked at legislation last week that would have reopened several departments including USDA.  Neither side seems ready to move.  Democrats passed what they called “messaging bills”, which in turn died in route to the Senate.  At this point, the only agreement in D.C. is on legislation ensuring furloughed workers get missed pay once the shutdown ends.

“USDA has stopped making loans and grants for rural development programs, such as housing, water and waste water facilities," said Incoming House Ag Appropriations Chair Sanford Bishop.  "New grants to our universities for agriculture research cannot be made.  Across the nation, Farm Service Agency county offices have been closed since December 28^th.  Farmers applying for relief from retaliatory tariffs are in limbo, waiting for the shutdown to end.”

The USDA spending bill passed 243-183, with just 10 GOP votes, but Senate Republicans refused to take up any House bills to reopen agencies until the border wall dispute is resolved.

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