Looking ahead to other action on Capitol Hill, Agri-pulse reports that House Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., has said he wants to move a farm bill this month to reauthorize key programs not included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last July. The piecemeal approach follows lawmakers failing once again last year to clear a full, five-year ag measure. The last time that happened was 2018, and the partisan divide since then has only widened.
Lawmakers also face calls from farmers to do more to help deal with lagging demand and high production costs. Many in the Agriculture community say the Trump administration’s planned allotment of aid is not enough to ensure farmers can stay in business this year. The soy industry, hit especially hard last year from fewer crop sales to China, has been especially vocal on the issue.
The Venezuela situation also will be getting a lot of attention in Washington this week in the wake of the U.S. arrest of President Nicolas Maduro. That action could have ramifications for agriculture as the United States has been the second-largest exporter of farm products to Venezuela with a 26% market share, according to USDA. The main U.S. ag exports included soybean meal, corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, and consumer products.