On April 30 the House finally passed a farm bill by a 224-200 vote. The Farm, Food, and National Security Act, includes several key provisions for conservation aimed at supporting private land stewardship and enhancing wildlife habitat.
An attempt to include in the House passed Farm Bill a provision to allow year-round U.S. sales of higher ethanol fuel blends, known as E15, became a major sticking point throughout consideration of the bill. The provision was removed after concerns arose that the biofuel measure might not have enough support amid oil refinery opposition and cost concerns and could therefore scuttle the Farm bill. Instead, a vote on E15 in a freestanding measure is now set for May 13.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee was expected to mark up the next surface transportation reauthorization bill in April, but that timeline has slipped, with action now anticipated in May, Roads and Bridges reports.
In March, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to create a new exception for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) at railroad grade crossings in specific situations.
House Transportation Chair Sam Graves (R-Mo.) announced this week that he is targeting April 29 as the start date for efforts to reauthorization the surface transportation bill and is negotiating a topline number between $500 billion and $550 billion, Politico reports. The bill would cover a five-year period that starts on October 1, 2026.
A refund system for businesses that paid tariffs that the US Supreme Court ruled President Trump imposed without the constitutional authority to do so launched April 20. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the agency charged with administering the system, opened an online portal for importers to file their claims. CBP will be evaluating and refunding up to $175 billion in revenue collected from the now invalidated tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
The House Rules Committee appears ready to meet the week of April 27 to finalize plans for consideration of the farm bill, aligning with Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson’s push to bring the legislation to the House floor this month. Thompson has given Representatives the opportunity to submit amendments to the committee passed bill until noon on Wednesday, April 22. The schedule remains fluid as lawmakers prioritizes completing action on funding the partially shut down Department of Homeland Security and discuss a second reconciliation bill. Lawmakers in the chamber will return to their districts for a week-long recess during the first week of May.
President Donald Trump transmitted his nearly $2.2 trillion fiscal 2027 spending request to lawmakers during the congressional Easter recess. The proposal sets out the Administration’s funding priorities for FY 2027 and serves as the starting point for negotiations with congressional appropriators in the annual federal budgeting process. The budget requests a major increase in defense spending, proposing a record $1.2 trillion. Significant cuts are proposed for agriculture and water programs with highway and bridge programs fairing better. The administration proposed similar cuts in last year’s budget which Congress did not adopt.
President Donald Trump issued a proclamation to overhaul his steel, aluminum and copper tariffs, adjusting how duties are applied to imports of the raw metals and downstream products containing the metals.
Farm equipment giant John Deere has agreed to pay $99 million and provide equipment owners with access to "repair resources" to vehicle owners to settle a class-action lawsuit over the company's repair practices.
Under a proposed settlement filed in federal court in the Northern District of Illinois, Deere would give farmers the ability to "diagnose and repair problems without having to use the services of an authorized dealer," according to a brief filed last week on behalf of farmer plaintiffs in the case. It called the action a "sea change" in the company's provision of repair tools.