From staff reports After previously discussing what President Trump’s popular vote win means for the cattle industry, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Vice President of Governmental Affairs Ethan Lane underlined what he believes needs to happen before Congress convenes in January.
“If I am a Democrat in the House or Senate, my prospects for a reasonable Farm Bill don’t get better next year,” Lane told Oklahoma Farm Report. “They were steadfastly refusing to talk about anything to do with G.T. Thompson’s bill up until now. But I would be shocked if there wasn’t just a little more interest in a lame duck conversation on getting that bill moved.” Congressman Thompson (R-Penn.) currently chairs the House Committee on Agriculture.
Lane was unsure if there is enough bandwidth to get that done in the lame duck session, but the resolutions of leadership changes, such as electing Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) as Senate Majority Leader, clears obstacles for greater progress of such issues.
Conversely, Republicans, who now hold the majority in both houses of Congress, will look at all the possibilities for the next two years.
“I anticipate this now being a less tumultuous lame duck,” Lane said. “Congressional Review Act action is now possible. We haven’t seen that since 2016, when Trump came in. That is based on 60 legislative days from the time when regulation is promulgated, which means if they gavel out early, that puts more days back on the clock and sends that back into last spring a few extra days. All of that is now going to have to be factored in to how we use this time over the next few weeks in lame duck before they gavel out and go home for Christmas.”
The bipartisan ag sector is now united behind the Farm Bill that they all support and are anxious to get it through and finished.
“Thompson has done phenomenal work here,” Lane said.” Let’s take advantage of it, and put this thing to bed.”
Lane said priorities for 2025 will be encompassed by a strong desire to show productivity from the Republican majority in both the House and Senate.
“On the minds of a lot of farmers and ranchers around the country are going to be those tax provisions that expire at the end of 2025,” Lane said. “There have been conversations about if this day were to come, what does it look like to get that tax package renewed early in the 119th Congress, whether that be through budget reconciliation or something else.”
Lane believes that there will be a lot of interest in the Congressional Review Act within the first few weeks of the new Congress. As far as the Senate goes, they will have their hands full with 1,200 new congressional confirmations and 2,800 new appointees.
The renewal of government funding will also be a high priority early in the new year as it expires Dec. 20, 2024.