U.S. Senate

Legislation introduced last week in the U.S. Senate would revise existing trucking regulations to make the rules more flexible for drivers hauling livestock, according to the National Pork Producers Council. The “Modernizing Agricultural Transportation Act” would establish a working group at the Department of Transportation to examine the federal Hours of Service rules and the Electronic Logging D

The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing Thursday regarding the Trump Administration’s trade policy. The Hagstrom Report said that U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will be the lone witness at the proceedings.  The committee chair, Republican Orrin Hatch of Utah, has been critical of President Donald Trump’s announced trade tariffs.   Hatch said i...

The Senate agriculture committee has two new members to start the year.  Tina Smith, a Democrat from Minnesota, has joined the committee, along with Nebraska Republican Deb Fischer.   Smith was recently appointed to take the seat of resigned Senator Al Franken.  She takes th...

The Senate Agriculture Committee likely won’t have a hearing on Sonny Perdue’s nomination until mid-to-late February.  Politico’s Morning Agriculture Report says it’ll take that long for Perdue’s financial disclosures to be analyzed in case of potential conflicts of interest and to finish an FBI background check.  Financial disclosure paperwork q...

Last week, Senator Jeff Merkley announced that he will remain the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agricultural, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies.  Merkley says the appointment puts him in a powerful position to advocate for Oregon’s rural communities, agriculture research institutions, and ranching and farming families.   M...

When Congress returns to Washington D.C., it will have over 100 appropriations bills to work through, including the Ag Appropriations Bill.  According to Politico, that bill could face some stiff challenges.  Both the House and Senate versions of ag appropriations would cut current spending levels by 2%.   ...

U.S. Senate leadership has scheduled a vote Wednesday on ending debate on the GMO labeling bill.  The cloture vote is scheduled for noon Pacific time Wednesday.  The bill needs 60 votes for approval to end debate and head for final passage, before moving to the House of Representatives.  The vot...