Category: Legislative Updates

July 4 Deadline for Reconciliation Uncertain

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by LICA-National

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is sticking to his ambitious schedule of getting the reconciliation legislation to President Trump’s desk by July 4, even as he faces objections from GOP colleagues and the Senate parliamentarian to key provisions in the bill. Thune is continuing his effort pushing to get the budget reconciliation bill on the floor by the weekend. Republican senators are racing to work out their disagreements over Medicaid, renewable energy tax breaks, state and local tax deductions and a host of other provisions before the bill comes to the Senate floor. Once approved by the Senate, the House must also approve it or send it back with amendments to the Senate.


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OBBB Criticized as Benefiting Large Farmers at Expense of Small Ones

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by LICA-National

The “big, beautiful” reconciliation bill would overwhelmingly benefit large farms at the expense of small ones, some farm program critics told reporters on Wednesday, as reported by Agri Pulse. “This legislation that the ag committees have produced is clear "fiscal malpractice” said Josh Sewell of Taxpayers for Common Sense. Sewell was joined on the call by consultant Ferd Hoefner, formerly of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and the Environmental Working Group’s Scott Faber.


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ICE Enforcement of Farms/Construction Sites to Continue

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by LICA-National

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will continue to conduct inspections of ag operations and other workplaces, including construction sites, but will focus on criminal activity, White House border czar Tom Homan announced. After days of confusion over whether President Donald Trump had carved out an exception for farms and hospitality operations including hotels and restaurants, Homan told reporters, “The message is clear enough that we're going to continue doing worksite enforcement operations even on farms and hotels.” The ag industry has voiced concern about worksite raids at farm operations and construction sites. Part of that concern derives from ICE arresting workers beyond those for whom they have warrants.


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States Weigh-in On DOT DBE Program Future

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by LICA-National

A coalition of 21 state attorneys general and the Arizona state legislature urged a Kentucky federal court to approve a proposal from the U.S. Department of Transportation that would end core provisions of its Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program, reports the American Road and Transportation Builders Assn (ARTBA). In the amicus brief filed June 16, the Republican state officials expressed support for a recent “consent order” in which the department has agreed to stop enforcing race- and gender-based goals on federal-aid projects, pending court approval.


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Senate Continues Reconciliation Negotiations

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by LICA-National

Senators have been meeting all week in an attempt to find common ground on a reconciliation package that will implement much of President Trump’s domestic policy agenda. It is still very unclear what the Senate’s reconciliation bill will look like. Punch news reports that Senate Republicans are looking to rewrite two of the hardest-fought provisions in the House’s bill. Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) told GOP senators Wednesday that he plans to scale back the House’s deal raising the cap on the amount of state and local taxes (SALT) that can be deducted and to rework the House repeal of clean energy tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Once completed, the Senate bill must go back to the House for its adoption. Having passed its version of the legislation on a 215-214 vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson has little wiggle room in his quest to get the reconciliation bill done by July 4.


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Immigration Raids Rattle Ag industry

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by LICA-National

Raids by federal immigration agents targeting field workers in California and a meat processing plant in Nebraska have some producers on edge, lawmakers said at a House Ag Committee hearing Wednesday. Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., cited a statement by the Ventura County Farm Bureau that said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had engaged in illegal racial profiling in raids in his district. In addition to the action in California, ICE raided a meatpacking plant in Omaha. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said the raid involved “stolen identities.”


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Secretary Rollins Defends Department Personnel Cuts at Senate Hearing

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by LICA-National

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins defended her record at a wide-ranging House Agriculture Committee hearing this week that touched on trade, personnel reductions at USDA, and cuts to nutrition programs. She repeatedly mentioned her travel abroad and attempts to open foreign markets to U.S. farm goods and said, as she has before, that the previous administration had vastly increased the workforce at USDA, making it necessary to cut back. The department has lost about 15,100 employees through buyouts this year, raising concerns that some vital functions of the department will be hampered. But in response to criticism that the cuts have gone too far, she said, “We are adequately staffed to meet our mission.”


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Administration Unveils Plan for Tech-Focused Permit Reforms

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by LICA-National

The Council on Environmental Quality issued its Permitting Technology Action Plan, which seeks to modernize federal environmental review and permitting processes for a wide range of infrastructure projects, according to a White House press release. The action fulfills a directive from President Trump for agencies to make maximum use of technology in federal environmental reviews and permitting processes, according to the CEQ’s Permitting Innovation Center website.


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US DOT Agrees DBE Program Implementation Unconstitutional

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by LICA-National

The US Department of Transportation (US DOT) said in a court filing this week it has agreed to end consideration of race or gender in DOT’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (DBE) program when awarding billions of dollars in federal highway and transit projects. USDOT agreed with plaintiffs in the suit that the DBE “program’s use of race- and sex-based presumptions in awarding contracts is unconstitutional." USDOT previously defended the policy as seeking to remedy past discrimination but said it has since reevaluated its position in light of factors including a 2023 Supreme Court decision.


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DOGE Spending Cuts to be Formalized in Future Legislation

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by LICA-National

This week President Trump indicted that the administration will send legislation to the Hill to formalize spending cuts made by the Elon Musk headed Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE. Those cuts would have to be done in subsequent rescissions and appropriations legislation, because of rules excluding changes to discretionary spending in the current budget reconciliation package. Passing a rescissions bill would claw back money that has been previously approved by Congress. This news comes as Musk announced his time at DOGE has come to an end.

In a statement on X, House Speaker Mike Johnson praised Musk and DOGE, saying they did “incredible work.” He said Republicans were eager to write the cuts into law, once the White House sends its rescissions package to the House. Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought has said the administration plans to propose a $9 billion package of DOGE cuts that include cuts to foreign aid, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Public Radio and the Education Department.