Election
Since being confirmed on Feb. 13, Secretary Rollins has been in the Washington D.C., USDA office for a few hours. Most of her time has been spent visiting farmers, ranchers and ag businesses in Kentucky, Kansas and at Top Producer Summit.
Trump recently signed three executive orders imposing tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China. This marks the first time a president has used powers granted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977.
Trump taps Howard Lutnick for Commerce Secretary, signaling tariff-heavy trade strategy. Lutnick has called the tariffs a negotiating tool that could be used to convince other countries to bring down their own levies or to force companies to move production to the U.S.
Threats of widespread tariffs and concerns about retaliation continue to stoke uneasiness in agriculture. With a growing trade deficit and hopes the U.S. could re-embark on the Phase One trade deal with China, could the focus back on trade be positive for agriculture?
Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) wins Majority Leader race. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) was eliminated on the first ballot. And Thune beat Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) 29-24 on the second ballot.
Trump stated that Zeldin would “ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions” to “unleash the power of American businesses.” The administration aims to maintain “the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet” while pursuing deregulation.
One of the biggest anticipated changes that could impact farms across the U.S. is the possible change to the tax policy under a second Trump administration.
Now that the election results are in, the parlor game of who President-elect Donald Trump will tap to serve on his Cabinet has returned, and there’s a host of possibilities.
Biden-era clean energy subsidies would likely survive, but a reduction in offshore wind leasing is likely.
Trump garnered even stronger support in rural America versus his still robust rural vote in this first administration. That is likely a backlash against the ag policy moves of the Biden/Harris administration that focused on underserved and minority rural citizens.
Which Presidential Candidate Is More Likely to Tame Inflation or Support Farm Policies and Biofuels?
Ahead of the election, the October Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor asked economists which presidential candidate will be better for agriculture on taming inflation, providing more certainty on farm policy, as well as more likely to support biofuels policies.
The race tightened over the weekend as the Des Moines Register’s final presidential poll shockingly had Harris up three points in the state, underscoring that the election will be closer than current market expectations
Washington insider Jim Wiesemeyer fills the guest’s chair on this episode of Unscripted to share what he’s hearing about the upcoming presidential election. Wiesemeyer offers plenty of insight into key topics such as the impact of early voting and how the next administration can help or hurt the production ag industry.
As agriculture faces multiple challenges, USDA’s latest net farm income forecast is masking the reality for farmers. While livestock margins have improved for 2024, high input costs and below breakeven prices for row crops means margins could be the worst in nearly 20 years.
On the heels of the recent debate, we’d like to know which presidential candidate, Democrat Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump, you believe will have a more positive impact on agriculture.
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) released the unedited responses from Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump to its questionnaire on federal agricultural policy.
This decision marks a significant transformation in Vance’s political career, as he has evolved from being a vocal critic of Trump during the 2016 election to becoming a staunch ally and supporter of the former president.
Sid Miller, current Texas Ag Commissioner, and Kip Tom, an Indiana farmer who served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, react to the shooting at the rally in Butler, Penn., over the weekend.
President Biden delivered a defiant argument for a second term in his SOTU speech Thursday. From the economy to his thoughts on infrastructure, the border and climate, there were several key takeaways for agriculture.
Big moves in Washington in 2023 could impact your farm.
For example, Rep. Ralph Norman in the past unsuccessfully pushed crop insurance amendments that would have cut premium incentives/subsidies by 15% for producers with specified adjusted gross incomes.
Some legislative officials have discussed the possibility that the Treasury could use an obscure law authorizing platinum coins to circumvent Congress if lawmakers don’t raise the debt ceiling.
Speaker McCarthy agreed that the House wouldn’t lift the debt ceiling unless Congress slashes federal spending next fiscal year. Because of this, Bank of America is telling clients to expect a debt default this fall.
After four days and 15 rounds of voting, McCarthy’s wait to become Speaker of the House has ended. During his first year as Speaker, he will need to raise the debt limit and fund the government.
“For the next two years, I am intensely focused on… leading the passage of the next five-year Farm Bill, which determines our nation’s food and agriculture policies,” says Sen. Stabenow.
The agreement will allow lawmakers to spend the coming week hashing out specific spending levels for each federal agency as well as what legislative items they will attach to the bill, likely including ag aid.
Officials have been bracing for an influx of migrants when the authority lifts on Dec. 21. The Dept. of Homeland Security is projecting 14,000 migrants may then attempt to cross the U.S. southern border per day.