Farm Bill Prospects Fade as Washington Prepares for New Leadership

Republicans have officially won a full trifecta of power in Washington, D.C., following GOP victories in several key House contests. Republicans will hold a majority next year in the House comparable to their current four-seat margin, although further results may slightly tweak that figure. On Wednesday, House Republicans renominated Rep. Mike Johnson, R-LA, to stand for election as Speaker on the House floor in January. They also re-elected Reps. Steve Scalise, R-LA, and Tom Emmer, R-MN, as Majority Leader and Majority Whip, respectively, and elected Rep. Lisa McClain, R-MI, to serve as Conference Chair. Reps. Emmer and McClain both represent major dairy farming footprints.

The Republicans will hold a 53-seat Senate majority, although the Pennsylvania race appears headed to a recount. Earlier this week, GOP Senators selected Sen. John Thune, R-SD, as the new Majority Leader. Prior to winning his first senate election in 2004, Thune briefly served as a consultant in Washington to NMPF, and we have maintained a strong relationship with him and his staff in the intervening two decades. Thune also has served on the Senate Agriculture Committee, giving him deep familiarity with farm policy.

Where the farm bill is concerned, while there’s still a slight chance that a bill could pass during the lame duck session, the likelier outcome is that Congress will seek another one-year extension and allow House Ag Committee Chairman GT Thompson, R-PA, and incoming Senate Ag Committee Chairman John Boozman, R-AR, to lead the process of crafting a new bill next year, building on ideas that both have supported in the past year.