Washington filled back up quickly after the holidays as Congress convened, or tried to, right after the New Year. After a few days of getting the rust off, finding their offices and trying to pick a Speaker, work will soon launch to address key issues facing the country. As of now, no Speaker has been elected.
For LICA members, a new farm bill must be passed this year. The House Agriculture Committee has a new chairman, Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA), who is already taking his colleagues out to get feedback from farmers on what a new bill should look like. Senate Ag chair Debbie Stebenow (R-MI) announced this week that she will not seek re-election in 2024.
In addition to the farm bill, a key theme I will be watching this year is the new House majority’s commitment to reduce federal funding. Both the farm and highway bills annually require a significant amount of federal funds to achieve their program commitments. Stay tuned.