2024 Government Affairs Insights for Floral

January 27, 2025

January 2025

Congress Averts Government Shutdown, Farm Bill Extended for One Year

On December 20, Congress passed a year end spending package at the eleventh hour to avert a government shutdown before the holidays. After a long week of the House of Representatives shopping different versions of a continuing resolution (CR), House Republicans introduced their third version of their CR the Friday of the previous CR’s deadline to fund the government through March 14, which passed on the House floor by a 366-34-1 vote and in the Senate by a 84-11 vote. The package also included over $100 billion in funding for natural disasters, including roughly $20.78 billion for agricultural producers impacted by disasters during 2023 and 2024. Also included was $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers and a one-year farm bill extension. The farm bill extension, however, did not include funding for so called ‘orphan’ programs, which are those without ongoing base funding beyond this year—including some related to agriculture research, organic certification cost share, farm to food bank, farm to food bank and rural economic development.

Rep. Mike Johnson Reelected as House Speaker in the 119th Congress

On January 3, the House of Representatives kicked off the new year by voting for a new Speaker to lead in the 119th Congress. In a surprising turn of events, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) managed to secure his speakership on the first ballot. Leading up to the vote, several House Republican Members voiced public reservations regarding reelecting Johnson which prompted others to believe it would take several rounds of votes for any one Republican to secure 218 votes with such a slim majority. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) was the loudest Member in opposition to voting for Johnson having casted his vote for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH). Reps. Ralph Norman (R-SC) and Keith Self (R-TX) initially casted ballots against Johnson but eventually flipped their votes in the end for the speaker. This outcome and speaker vote was a vastly different outcome when compared to Johnson’s predecessor Former Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) who took over 20 votes to be confirmed only to be ousted from the role less than a year later. Despite Johnson’s success in corralling hardliners in his party this time around, he still has a tough road ahead tackling legislative priorities such as reconciliation, tax and border security/immigration policy reform, and farm bill reauthorization under a one seat majority. Following the speakership vote on January 6, Congress was able to swiftly and peacefully certify President-elect Donald Trump as the winner of the 2024 election under Johnson's speakership.

House and Senate Agriculture Committees Announce Rosters for the 119th Congress

Over the last few weeks, Agriculture Committee leadership in their respective parties and chambers have been announcing their roster of Members to serve in the 119th Congress. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) announced the newest Republicans members to include Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Tony Wied (R-WI), Rob Bresnahan (R-PA), Mark Harris (R-NC), Mark Messmer (R-IN), and David Taylor (R-OH). Newly instated Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-MN) announced that freshmen Reps. Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Adam Gray (D-CA), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI), Shomari Figures (D-AL), Eugene Vindman (D-VA), Josh Riley (D-NY), John Mannion (D-NY) and April McClain Delaney (D-MD) would be the newest additions to the House Agriculture Democrats. It’s worth noting that there are still two open seats on the Committee for House Democrats to fill at a later date. On the other side of the chamber, Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) announced that Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Sen. Jim Justice (R-WV) to be the newest Members to join Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) on his Senate Agriculture Republican roster. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that Sen. Schiff (D-CA) and Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) would join Senate Agriculture Democrats under the leadership of the new Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Holds Hearing for EPA Administrator Nominee Lee Zeldin

On January 16, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a nomination hearing for Trump’s pick to serve as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Former Congressman Lee M. Zeldin. During the hearing, Republicans and Democrats agreed on the importance of bipartisan cooperation in addressing environmental issues, such as carbon capture and nuclear energy reform. Republicans focused on ensuring the EPA adheres to its core missions, emphasizing economic growth, energy reliability, and reducing regulatory red tape. Democrats concentrated on the urgency of addressing climate change, questioning the nominee's commitment to science and environmental protection over industry interests. Other topics discussed included the EPA's role in water infrastructure, the impact of methane emissions, agency collaboration between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the EPA, chemical makeup of pesticides, and the need for international cooperation to reduce global carbon emissions. As of now, the vote to confirm the former Congressman’s nomination has yet to be scheduled. You can watch the full nomination hearing here.

President Trump Announces Nominees for USDA Under Secretaries

On January 16, prior to President Donald Trump’s inauguration, he made four announcements for various under secretary positions at the Department of Agriculture (USDA). In a series of posts on the social media platform Truth Social, he announced nominations for the following roles and individuals:

Luke Lindberg was named the nominee to be Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agriculture Affairs. In the first Trump Administration, he served as Chief of Staff and Chief Strategy Officer at the Export-Import Bank and is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of South Dakota Trade.
Dudley Hoskins was named the nominee to be Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. In the first Trump Administration, he served as Chief of Staff for Marketing and Regulatory Programs and as Senior Advisor to the Secretary and currently serves as counsel on the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Richard Fordyce was named the nominee to be Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. In the first Trump Administration, he served as Administrator of the Farm Service Agency and has also served as Director of Agriculture for the State of Missouri.
Michael Boren was named the nominee to be Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment. He is a businessman who has founded six different companies and has served on the board of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.

The President-elect had already announced his intent to nominate Brooke Rollins and Stephen Vaden to serve as the Secretary and Deputy Secretary, respectively. All of these individuals were officially nominated shortly after President Trump was sworn in on Inauguration Day.

USDA Announces Senior Staff Appointments

On January 20, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced several appointments for senior staff roles within the Department. These announcements are as follows:

Kailee Tkacz Buller was appointed Chief of Staff of USDA. She most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Oilseed Processors Association. She has also served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture.
Preston Parry was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of USDA. He most recently served as Strategic assistant to the President and Chief Executive Officer at the America First Policy Institute. He has also previously served as Executive Assistant to the Director of the Domestic Policy Council and as Associate Director in the White House Visitors Office.
Jen Tiller was appointed Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary and Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. She most recently served as Deputy Staff Director on the House Agriculture Committee.
Ralph Linden was appointed Principal Deputy General Counsel of USDA. He has almost 40 years of experience in the Office of the General Counsel, including serving as Acting Deputy General Counsel.
Audra Weeks was appointed Deputy Director of Communications of USDA. She has previously served as Deputy Press Secretary of USDA. She also has experience serving on the press teams for Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) and President Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign.
Dominic Restuccia was appointed White House Liaison for USDA. He has previously served as a legislative assistant for former Rep. Mike Bishop of Michigan and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT).

Senate Ag Holds Hearing for Secretary of Agriculture Nominee Brooke Rollins

On January 23, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Foresty convened to discuss the nomination of Mrs. Brooke Rollins, of Texas, and her experience and qualifications to be the next Secretary of Agriculture. Much debate centered around trade and the Trump Administration’s proposed tariffs, Trump’s immigration policies potential impact to agriculture, the current highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak, and the use and promotion of biofuels. Republicans and Democrats agreed on the importance of supporting rural communities and addressing agricultural challenges, such as high input costs and providing timely disaster assistance. Republicans praised her small town, agricultural roots and focused on her commitment to passing a farm bill and supporting farmers. Democrats concentrated on the need for bipartisan cooperation, ensuring robust support for nutrition programs like SNAP, and addressing immigration challenges for undocumented farm labor. Other topics discussed included improvements to safety net and risk management programs, trade deficits, and forest health and management. While the Senate has yet to schedule a vote for Rollins, she is expected to be easily confirmed with bipartisan support. You can watch the full nomination hearing for Brooke Rollins here.

December 2024

Trump Taps Brooke Rollins as Next Secretary of Agriculture

On November 23rd, President-elect Donald Trump announced Brooke Rollins as his pick to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture as Secretary. Rollins previously served as Director of the Office of American Innovation and Acting Director of the Domestic Policy Council during the first Trump Administration. She also co-founded the America First Policy Institute where she currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer. In addition to her career resume, Rollins received a degree in Agricultural Development at Texas A&M University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Texas School of Law. A statement from the Trump Vance Transition noted, “From her upbringing in the small Agriculture-centered town of Glen Rose, Texas, to her years of leadership involvement with Future Farmers of America and 4H, to her generation Family Farming background, to guiding her four kids in their show cattle careers, Brooke has a practitioner’s experience, along with deep policy credentials in both Nonprofit and Government leadership at the State and National levels.” Rollins is expected to have a smooth Senate confirmation, and if confirmed as Secretary of Agriculture she will provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues at USDA. Rollins has since responded to the official nomination stating it is her honor to have the ability to fight for American farmers and agricultural communities.

FSA Makes Available $2 billion to Support Expansion of Current and Development of New Markets in the Specialty Crop Sector

On December 9th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced it will start accepting applications for the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program starting December 10, 2024, through January 8, 2025. The MASC program is aimed at helping specialty crop producers expand existing markets and manage high input costs. The notice of funding for this specialty crop program was first announced in November alongside the $140 million commodity storage assistance program for facilities impacted by the recent 2024 natural disasters. To be eligible for MASC, producers must be in the business at the time of the application, maintain ownership share and share in the risk of producing a specialty crop that will be sold in the calendar year 2025. This program is specially targeted toward covering the following commercially marketed specialty crops: fruits (fresh, dried); vegetables (including dry edible beans and peas, mushrooms, and vegetable seed); tree nuts; nursery crops, Christmas trees, and floriculture; culinary and medicinal herbs and spices; and honey, hops, maple sap, tea, turfgrass, and grass seed. You can find the Notice of Funding Availability in the Federal Register. For more information on where to apply, locate your local FSA agent here.

Craig and Klobuchar Locked in as House and Senate Ag Ranking Members

On December 17th, the full House Democratic caucus conferred and voted on their slate of Committee leadership for the upcoming 119th Congress. Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) walked into the vote with the endorsement from the Democratic Steering Committee to serve as House Agricultural Committee Ranking Member and officially beat out candidates Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) and the current Ranking Member Rep. David Scott (D-GA), who withdrew from the race after losing the Steering Committee vote the day before. On the other side of the chamber, current Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Shumer (D-NY) announced the Senate Democrats slate of leaders for the upcoming Congress, confirming Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) as the next Ranking Member for the Senate Agriculture Committee. With both Craig and Klobuchar at the Democratic helm of their respective chambers, this gives the state of Minnesota considerable influence within Agriculture Committee leadership as the Minnesotan Members now make up 2 of the 4 corners.

November 2024

Donald Trump Elected as Next President, Republicans sweep Congress

On November 5th, millions of Americans took to the polls on Election Day to vote in the 2024 Presidential Election, the aftermath bringing about large waves of change. Voting results from battleground states like Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan were tabulated quicker than originally anticipated and by early Wednesday morning of the next day, majority of mainstream news outlets projected former President Donald J. Trump as the winner over Vice President Kamala Harris. In addition to the Republicans flipping the White House, the Senate GOP managed to flip 4 seats held by Democrat incumbents in Ohio, West Virginia, Montana, and Pennsylvania whereas Democrats were unable to flip any seats, leaving Republicans poised to enter 2025 with a 53-47 seat majority. House Republicans managed to narrowly retain the majority and even with a small handful of uncalled races still left, Republicans are expected to operate under a 221-214 majority, resulting in a Republican sweep of power across the Legislative and Executive branches. From an Agriculture leadership perspective, Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) will be the next Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is expected to assume the top Democrat role currently belonging to Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), who is retiring at the end of the year. In the House, while Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) will remain Chair of the Agriculture Committee, current Ranking Member Rep. David Scott (D-GA) is being challenged by Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA), who is the most senior Democrat on the dais under Scott. Other notable Agriculture Committee Member changes include Reps. Nick Molinaro (R-NY), Yadira Caraveo (D-CO), and Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) who lost their seats to their respective challengers.

Senate Ag Chairwoman Stabenow Releases Farm Bill Text

On November 18th, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act, her proposal for the next farm bill. The bill’s introduction follows her May release of a farm bill framework. It would include $39 billion in new spending, of which $20 billion would go to strengthening the farm safety net and preparing for disaster relief, $8.5 billion would support nutrition assistance, and $4.3 would support rural development. Despite the renewed momentum stirred up from the Chairwoman’s release of bill text, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Republican leadership signaled their intent to move forward with a one-year extension of the current farm bill instead, punting farm policy efforts into the new year and Congress. Chairwoman Stabenow’s bill text can be found here and a summary of the bill can be found here.

USDA Announces More that $2 billion to Strengthen Specialty Crops Sector Following 2024 Natural Disasters

On November 19th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsacks announced the creation of new programs intended to help specialty crop farmers who grow fruits, vegetables, and nuts overcome market barriers for their products, as well as allow producers access to necessary pre-market storage for their crops following severe weather events, including the most recent string of hurricanes. More specifically, the new Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops initiative is set to provide $2 billion to assist specialty crop producers maintain a strong domestic supply and expand market opportunities for their crops. This initiative builds on previous investments made by USDA in the specialty crop sector, such as its new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program, geared towards expanding foreign market development and food security. In addition, USDA is using this funding to create the Commodity Storage Assistance Program to make available commercial storage facilities such as grain elevators and packinghouses necessary for the orderly marketing of commodities by producers who experienced reduced commercials storage access due to the 2024 natural disasters. These new investments expand upon USDA’s wide array of disaster assistance, farm loans, and conservation programs to help agricultural producers mitigate the impact and aftermath of natural disasters.

October 2024

Congress Passes Bipartisan CR, Avoiding Government Shutdown Ahead of November Elections

On September 25th, the Senate cleared H.R. 9749 and presented President Biden a bipartisan Continuing Resolution (CR) set to fund the federal government until December 20. The bill also included an additional $321 million in funding for the Secret Service. Having avoided a government shutdown ahead of the September 30 fiscal year deadline, Congress has since recessed and Members are returning to their districts ahead of November’s election. When Congress returns for the lame duck session on November 12, they will have several items to work through, including FY2025 appropriations and passing a new farm bill or an extension to the existing law.

EPA Finalizes Vulnerable Species Action Plan

On September 26th, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the final Vulnerable Species Action Plan (VSAP) which aims to provide a framework for the EPA to adopt early, meaningful protections to address potential impacts for listed species that it identifies as vulnerable to pesticides. This announcement comes after the Vulnerable Species Pilot was first released in November 2023, where it was open for public stakeholder comments, and is associated with EPA's broader Endangered Species Act Workplan. VSAP has a three-step framework: (1) identification of potential impacts; (2) the type and level of mitigation; and (3) where mitigation applies. Through the VSAP, EPA has identified 27 species listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the lower 48 states as “vulnerable species.” You can find more information on VSAP and the official Regulation.gov posting here.

GSP Reauthorization Still Up in the Air as Congress Approaches Lame Duck

Election day is nearly upon us, which means Congress’s lame duck session is quick to follow suit. Traditionally, lame duck can be utilized as a time to pass and push through any outstanding legislative priorities and packages before the start of a new Presidential Administration and Congress. As talks of a trade packages come together, reauthorization of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) will likely be top priority for Members of Congress to address. GSP is a trade preference program that has been in place for more than 45 years promoting opportunity for the least economically developed countries abroad and supporting U.S. businesses that rely on imported products to sustain and grow their businesses, but unfortunately its authorization lapsed on December 31, 2020. Generally, there is bipartisan support for GSP reauthorization, but some partisan challenges remain. Democrats view the inclusion of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) with GSP as a non-negotiable whereas Republicans see TTA as separate trade issue to be settled outside of GSP reauthorization. Once Members return in November, Congress will have limited time in the lame duck to handle other must-pass legislation like the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and FY2025 Appropriations. Although, a signal from an incoming Presidential Administration to clear the decks and reauthorize GSP and not carry it into the next Congress, could provide Congress with the necessary cover to get it done by end of year.

September 2024

USDA ERS releases 2024 Farm Sector Income Forecast

On September 5, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) published their 2024 Farm Sector Income Forecast. This publication found that after the farm economy reached record highs in 2022, the farm sector income is projected to fall in 2024 but at a reduced rate than that of its 2023 decline. Net farm income in 2024 is forecasted to be $140.0 billion, which is $6.5 billion decrease (4.4%) from its 2023 total of $146.5 billion. When considering inflation-adjusted 2024 dollars, net farm income is projected to decrease by $10.2 billion (6.2%) from 2023 to 2024, whereas net cash income is forecasted to decrease by $16.3 billion (9.6%) compared with the previous year. Direct government farm payments are expected to decline by $1.8 billion (15.1%) from its 2023 numbers to $10.4 billion in 2024, in part due to lower Dairy Margin Coverage Program payments and supplemental and ad hoc disaster assistance to farmers. Total production expenses (including those associated with operator dwellings) are likely to decrease by $4.4 billion (1.0%) from 2023 to $457.5 billion in 2024. Feed, fertilizer, and pesticide expenses are forecasted to see the largest declines in 2024, whereas livestock/poultry purchases are expected to see the largest dollar increase relative to 2023. While cash receipts for crops are projected to fall in 2024, total animal/animal product cash receipts are forecasted to increase by $17.8 billion (7.1% in nominal terms) from 2023 to $267.4 billion in 2024. You can find more information and statistics on ERS’s September 2024 Farm Sector Income Forecast publication here.

USDA invests in more Specialty Crops Research and Organic Agriculture Production

On September 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it will be investing $121 million to contribute to research and extension activities to help solve challenges affecting specialty crop and organic agriculture producers. Of the allocation, $70.4 million is being put toward supporting specialty crop production research, and $50.5 million is being used to support farmers who grow and market high-quality organic food, fiber and organic products. The investment is part of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Specialty Crop Research Initiative. NIFA’s investment builds on the USDA’s recently announced $82.3 million in grant funding which was awarded through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) and the Specialty Crop Multi-State Grant (SCMP) Program. SCBGP and SCMP are being used to increase the competitiveness of specialty crops within the agricultural industry while also making specialty crops more accessible to consumers.

August 2024

House Ag Holds Hearing Over Financial Conditions Across the Agriculture Industry

Toward the end of July, the House Committee on Agriculture held a hearing titled, “Financial Conditions in Farm Country.” Featuring testimony across a broad range of agricultural stakeholders, the Committee discussed challenges farmers face due to the current economic condition of the country. Questions focused on access to cash flow, strengthening the farm safety net, the impact of increased input costs and interest rates, and ad hoc disaster funding. Additional topics of discussion included international trade concerns, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Section 1071 ruling, underserved and beginning farmers, market access, as well as attention being brought to specialty crop producers limited access to crop insurance policy options. Republicans tended to voice concerns for Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) draft Herbicide Strategy and the lack of Senate farm bill text, whereas Democrats voiced concern over the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary’s revoked authority to the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) in the House Farm Bill. Overall, there was bipartisan support for strengthening the farm safety net and passing a farm bill this year. You can find a recording of the hearing here.

EPA Releases Strategy to Reduce Risk of Insecticides Impact on Endangered Species

On July 25, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its draft Insecticide Strategy for public comment, aiming to protect federally endangered and threatened species by addressing spray drift, erosion, and pesticide runoff. The strategy, developed in response to requests from agricultural groups to refine risk assessment methods, seeks to streamline consultations with wildlife agencies and offer growers flexible mitigation options. Environmental advocates view this as a positive step towards safeguarding endangered pollinators, despite some agricultural groups remaining critical. Once finalized, the strategy is expected to expedite future consultations with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, supporting the Biden-Harris Administration’s environmental protection efforts. The draft strategy has now been posted to the Federal Register and is open for public comment until September 24, 2024. Interested parties can submit comments here.

USDA, USTR Names New Agricultural Trade Advisors

On August 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai announced the appointment or reappointment of 55 members to serve across seven different Agricultural Trade Advisory Committees (ATAC). These committees were originally created by Congress with the intent to ensure that U.S. agricultural stakeholders have input and insight into U.S. trade policy and a seat at the table when negotiating objectives. Of note to the floriculture industry, IFPA’s very own VP of U.S. Government Relations Rebeckah Adcock was chosen to sit on the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee, where she will be able to advocate on behalf of entire global fresh produce and floral supply chain. This incoming class of appointed advisors will serve until 2028. You can find a full list of the ATAC appointees across the different committees here.

Senate and House Appropriations Committees Move Agriculture-FDA Spending Bills

On Wednesday, July 10, the House Committee on Appropriations marked up a series of appropriations bills, including the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration spending bill. The Committee favorably reported the bill, as amended, to the House floor along a party line vote of 29-26. Republicans enthusiastically supported their $25.9 billion topline bill while Democrats voiced their opposition, referencing harmful cuts to food programs aiding vulnerable communities in the United States and abroad, and support for policy riders related to FDA regulation of nontraditional nicotine products and lack of agency Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion protections. On Thursday, July 11, following the House’s movements regarding appropriations, the Senate Committee on Appropriations marked up and approved the FY2025 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Allocation, as amended. The Senate version of the agriculture spending bill provides $27.05 billion in total funding, an $821 million increase from FY2024, and passed unanimously out of the Committee by a 27-0 vote. To highlight from a floral industry perspective, the House version of the agriculture spending bill included increased funding allocation for the Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative (FNRI), whereas the Senate version maintains current funding for floriculture research. Originally, the House floor was supposed to consider the bill the week of July 22 but has since been pulled and its path forward is still uncertain at this time. The Senate has yet to announce when it will consider the bill on the floor or through conference. For the House version, you can find a copy of the Agriculture-FDA Full Committee Mark here, bill report here, and the adopted amendments here. For the Senate version, you can find a copy of the final bill text here, the final bill report here, and the adopted amendments here.

USDA Seeks Nominees for Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee

On Wednesday, July 3, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the agency was seeking nominations from specialty crop stakeholders to serve on the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (FVIAC). Appointed individuals will serve for two-year terms to succeed current members whose terms expire on October 28, 2024, with the Secretary of Agriculture being able to appoint up to 25 individuals. The FVIAC is administered by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service where Committee members and nominees represent the spectrum of the fruit and vegetable industry, including shippers, retailers, processors, and state agencies. Members of the FVIAC meet at least twice a year to develop recommendations on issues affecting the U.S. produce industry. Nominations are open now until September 3, 2024, and can be submitted via email or mail. You can find more details regarding FVIAC nomination information here.

RMA Expands Insurance Options for Specialty and Organic Growers

At the end of June, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced an expansion of crop insurance coverage for specialty and organic growers to take into effect the beginning in the 2025 crop year. RMA plans to implement the following changes regarding expanded policy options:

Expand Enterprise Units (EU) for almonds, apples, avocado (California), citrus (Arizona, California, and Texas), figs, macadamia nuts, pears, prunes, and walnuts.
Allow non-contiguous parcels of land that qualify for Optional Units (OU) to also qualify for EU.
Allow EUs by organic farming practice for alfalfa seed, almonds, apples, avocado (California), cabbage, canola, citrus (Arizona, California and Texas), coarse grains, cotton, ELS cotton, dry beans, dry peas, figs, fresh market tomatoes, forage production, grass seed, macadamia nuts, millet, mint, mustard, pears, potatoes (northern, central, and southern), processing tomatoes, prunes, safflower, small grains, sunflower seed, and walnuts.
Expand OUs by organic practice to all remaining crops where OUs are available, and the organic practice is insurable.
Allow sunburned damaged walnuts to be eligible for indemnity payments through quality adjustment.
Expand insurance coverage to younger trees by including trees in their fifth leaf year after being set out.
Extend insurance coverage in Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey by an additional 16 days.
Expand insurance for canola into South Dakota and Michigan.

These revisions come through the Expanding Options for Specialty and Organic Growers Final Rule published by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation. The Final Rule intends to update the Common Crop Insurance Policy Basic Provisions, Area Risk Protection Insurance Basic Provisions, and additional changes to individual Crop Provisions. Throughout the year, the enterprise unit availability will continue to be rolled out with each crop’s contract change date and RMA plans to continue to evaluate expanding EUs to additional crops. You can find a copy of the published rule with the complete list of changes here.

Ranking Member Boozman Releases Senate Republicans Initial Farm Bill Framework

On June 11, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Nutrition Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR) released a high-level farm bill framework outlining the Senate Republican’s key priorities across all 12 titles of the farm bill. This proposal aims to significantly expand farm safety net programs amidst economic uncertainties for farmers and closely mirrors the GOP-led House farm bill. Through the initial announcement, Senator John Boozman emphasized the need for a meaningful boost to farm safety nets, including crop insurance and reference prices, to address challenges like rising input costs and a declining agricultural trade balance and touted the framework as putting, “more farm in the farm bill.” The proposal also seeks to reinvest conservation funds from the Inflation Reduction Act into traditional programs, limit future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan used for SNAP benefits, and address state animal welfare laws. While Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking Member Boozman still appear to be far apart on most issues, they have agreed on rural development priorities, aiming to enhance infrastructure like childcare, broadband, and healthcare in rural areas. The bill also includes measures to double trade promotion funding and improve crop insurance affordability for new producers. Other notable provisions for the floral industry include increased funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) and Specialty Crop Block Grant Programs, establishes mandatory funding for a new specialty crop mechanization and automation research program, and maintains funding for the Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention Program. This framework release follows the bipartisan passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 in the House Agriculture Committee and Chairwoman’s rollout of the Senate Democrats farm bill priorities just last month. At this point in time, neither party in the Senate has released bill text nor announced when a potential markup can be expected. Ranking Member Boozman’s key priorities and title summaries can be found here.

Senate Finance Committee Holds a Hearing on Generalized Systems of Preferences

On June 5, the Senate Committee on Finance held a trade related hearing titled, “Revitalizing and Renewing GSP, AGOA, and Other Trade Preference Programs.” Republicans and Democrats alike expressed support for reauthorizing the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). While conversations remained amicable, Democrats emphasized the need to reinstitute Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) policies while Republicans tended to favor a free-market structure to GSP arrangements. Discussion frequently centered around competition with China as well as the impacts of duty-free trade on both American and African interests. Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) expressed his general support for GSP but highlighted Democratic concerns with passing a reauthorization package that did not included TAA. The Chair also acknowledged the value GSP brings to the international table and how the program could be potentially used as a negotiation tool with other countries for a host of different issues. Other topics included instituting female empowerment and environmental protection provisions into trade preference programs (TPPs), protecting small businesses, and extending the GSP’s and AGOA’s reauthorization to a more long-term framework. To this point, both the House and Senate have indicated strong interest in reauthorizing GSP through recent action holding trade related hearings and markups, although it will be up to Leadership and floor time as to whether the current momentum surrounding trade holds up through the end of the 118th Congress. You can find a link to the full recording of the hearing here.

House Agriculture Committee Votes to Advance Farm Bill to the House Floor on a Bipartisan Vote

Right before the Memorial Day Weekend on May 23, the House Committee on Agriculture held a committee markup of H.R. 8467, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024. While both parties agreed on the importance of passing a bipartisan farm bill, partisan priorities and rhetoric tended to dominate the discussion. Republicans praised the bill’s robust investments made into the farm safety net and its intent to strengthen all sectors of the nation’s agricultural value chain and ability to respond to the needs of farmers, ranchers, and American families. Democrats criticized the bill’s “pay-for,” referencing the proposed Thrifty Food Plan update in the Nutrition Title, limitations placed on the Secretary of Agriculture’s ability to use discretionary authority of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), and the reinvestment of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into the Conservation Title and the scaling back of climate-smart guardrails. Other topics of discussion and raised amendments included food and national security, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, regulation and definition of hemp and related products, and discrepancies over meatpacking plants use of child labor. After nearly a 13-hour markup, the bill was approved by the Committee as amended and reported favorably to the House floor by a 33-21 vote, with Reps. Yadira Caraveo (D-CO), Eric Sorensen (D-IL), Don Davis (D-NC), and Sanford Bishop (D-GA) voting with all Republican members of the Committee in favor of the bill. A recording of the markup can be found here and supporting materials for the markup can be found here.

House Ag Chairman Thompson Release Farm Bill Text and Title-by-Title Summary

On Friday, May 17, House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) released text for The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024. In the initial press release the Chairman touts the bill as, “the product of extensive feedback from stakeholders and all Members of the House and is responsive to the needs of farm country through the incorporation of hundreds of bipartisan policies.” This comes after his May 10 release of the Committee’s title-by-title summary of the Chairman’s farm bill proposal and open letter to his colleagues and stakeholders where Thompson describes his intent in drafting legislation to support the needs of producers, invest in voluntary incentive-based conservation practices, expand markets for agricultural programs, support rural communities, and strengthen nutrition programs while maintaining accountability and transparency. Provisions of note for the floral industry in the Chairman’s bill includes increased funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative at $175 million per year, with a $20 million per year allocation for a new Specialty Crop Mechanization and Automation Research and Extension Program. The bill also improves and increases funds for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program as well as bumps up the mandatory funding level for the Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Program. The Full Committee markup of the House farm bill is expected to take place on Thursday, May 23. The complete bill text for Chairman Thompson’s Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 can be found here. You can also find his title-by-title summary here as well as the letter here.

Senate Finance Committee holds a hearing on Generalized Systems of Preferences

Senate Ag Chairwoman Stabenow Releases Draft Farm Bill Summaries

On Wednesday, May 1, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) unveiled a preview of her Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act. The release included both a high-level summary of the contents of the Senate majority’s version of the farm bill, as well as a nearly 100-page section-by-section summary that provides more details on the contents of each title. From a floral industry lens, the Chairwoman’s bill provides $130 million per year for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative with a $10 million per year carve out for a new Specialty Crop Mechanization and Automation Research and Extension Program. Following the announcement, Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR) released a statement saying, “the release of the majority’s framework is a welcome development,” and that his team will release their framework after the House first considers its bill at the end of May. As of now, the Senate has yet to set a formal day for a Full Committee markup of a farm bill. A full summary of the Senate majority’s bill can be found here, and the section-by-section summary can be found here.

April 21, 2024

Congressman Smith’s GSP bill favorably reported out of Committee to the full House of Representatives

On Wednesday, April 17, the House Ways and Means Committee held a Full Committee markup featuring 6 bills, including H.R. 7986 – the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Reform Act. Sponsored by the Trade Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), this bill modifies and reauthorizes the GSP trade program until December of 2030, which had lapsed in December of 2020. Republicans on the Committee voiced their support for passing the bill and highlighted its added criteria to strengthen the labor and environmental provisions within the program. Democrats on the Committee expressed general support for GSP reauthorization but urged Republicans to include Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), a separate program that provides aid to workers who lose their jobs or whose hours of work and wages are reduced as a result of increased imports. After much partisan discussion the bill did not include TAA but was ultimately reported favorably out of Committee on a party line vote of 25-17. Now, the bill heads to the full House of Representatives where it is up to leadership to decide whether or not it will be considered on the House floor. Read the full bill text.

House Agriculture Majority projecting to markup a farm bill by Memorial Day

In recent weeks, House Agriculture Committee Chair Rep. G.T. Thompson (R-PA) has indicated plans to markup a farm bill in Committee by Memorial Day (May 27). Thompson and his team have been in active discussions with their Democratic counterparts regarding an updated budget proposal to pay for the long list of costly farm bill priorities, including a boost to Title I reference prices for row crops and increases in research programs for specialty crops. The Chairman’s intention is to repurpose conservation funds from the Inflation Reduction Act and measures to limit cost increases to the Thrifty Food Plan, under the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program, to pay for other priorities but it is unclear how the Democratic caucus will respond. Further complicating the prospects of passing a farm bill through the House is the lack of a commitment from Speaker Johnson to take committee passed farm bill to the floor of the House for consideration. On the Senate side, farm bill talks seem to remain stalled as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) notably left the farm bill off a recent list of his most pertinent legislative priorities for the upcoming months. All of this is to say, that the likelihood of a new farm bill before the November elections is pretty low.

Secretary Vilsack testifies before both House and Senate Appropriations regarding FY2025 USDA budget request

In recent weeks, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Thomas Vilsack has been on Capitol Hill to testify before the Agriculture Appropriations Committees for the House and Senate. Both times, in his review of the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget request for USDA he spoke to the broad scope of USDA’s work and its impact on rural America and defended spending request increases. There was bipartisan agreement on the importance of USDA in promoting food security and rural development, as well as the need to invest in agricultural research and protect small and medium-sized farms. In both chambers, Republicans were generally concerned over the level of spending, particularly, the Secretary’s use of the Commodity Credit Corporation funds. Democrats generally praised the budget request for its investment into in rural businesses and addressing USDA staffing shortages. Democrats also supported the requested increase for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women and Children (WIC) and the creation of a contingency fund for WIC. Republicans raised questions about the new final rule on the Special SNAP and WIC food package. Other topics discussed included the struggles of small and medium sized farms due to increased input costs, foreign farmland ownership, staffing capacity and employee retention, and support for agriculture disaster assistance and crop insurance. The FY2025 President’s Budget request included $25.2 billion in discretionary spending for USDA, an increase of $2.2 billion or 10% over the FY2024 enacted level. View a recorded version of the Senate hearing, or view a recorded version of the House hearing.

March 21, 2024

President Biden Signs FY2024 Appropriations for USDA, FDA, and EPA Into Law

On Saturday, March 9th, President Biden signed into law a six-bill FY2024 appropriations package including both the Ag-FDA and Interior-EPA funding bills. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees had announced that an agreement on the six-bill package had been reached on Sunday, February 29. On Wednesday, the package passed in the House on a 339-85 vote, with 83 Republicans and two Democrats voting against the bill. It was then sent to the Senate where it passed on a 75-22 vote, with only Republicans voting against the bill. The bill included a total of $26.3 billion in discretionary funding for USDA, including $7.03 billion for WIC to fully meet the amount requested in the President’s FY2024 Budget. It also included $3.5 billion for FDA and $9.2 billion for EPA. Bill text for the six-bill package can be found here. The explanatory report for USDA and FDA report can be found here and the explanatory report including EPA can be found here, with the EPA section beginning on page 34. Funding for the agencies covered by the remaining six appropriations bills will expire on March 22 absent further action.

White House Releases FY2025 Budget

On Monday, March 11th, President Biden released his Budget for the federal government for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. In total, the President requested $7.3 trillion in discretionary spending. The Budget requested $29.2 billion for the Department of Agriculture (USDA), an increase of $2.9 billion from recently enacted FY2024 level. The Budget makes investments in the Administration’s priorities within USDA, including rural green energy, broadband expansion, conservation programs, and nutrition programs. Included within this request was $7.7 billion for the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), an increase from the $7.03 billion provided in FY2024. The Budget also requested $3.7 billion for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an increase of $200 million over FY2024. This total includes $1.3 billion for the Foods Program and $297 million for the Animal Drugs and Food Program. It also emphasizes the need to invest in strengthening the food supply chain. Further, the Budget requested $10.994 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a $1.7 billion increase over FY2024. The Budget describes how EPA will ensure chemicals are safe for both people and the environment, such as through implementing the EPA’s strategy to reduce occupational pesticide exposure and through reducing the risks posed by pesticides to threatened and endangered species. It also emphasizes the importance of reviewing and registering new and existing pesticides. The Budget can be found here. For USDA, the Budget in Brief can be found here and the Budget Appendix can be found here. For FDA, the Budget in Brief can be found here beginning on page 18 and the Budget Appendix can be found here. For EPA, the Budget in Brief can be found here and the Budget Appendix can be found here.

Bipartisan Group of Florida Lawmakers Introduce H.R. 7555 to Renew GSP

Towards the beginning of March, a group of six Florida House lawmakers introduced a bull to extend the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) for five years and provide importers retroactive relief. The Repayment of Extra Tariffs with Renewal of GSP Act or the RETRO GSP Act is sponsored by Reps. Debbie Wasserman-Shultz (D-FL-25), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-26), Frederica Wilson (D-FL-24), John Rutherford (R-FL-5), Shelia Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20), Marisa Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27), and Kathy Castor (D-FL-14). This bill would renew GSP, which originally lapsed at the end of 2020, until December 31, 2029. It also intends to direct that importers be reimbursed for tariffs paid on once-eligible products. This momentum comes after Wasserman Shultz and Diaz-Balart led the charge with a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee asking them to prioritize GSP reauthorization to lessen the tariff burden on companies and boost market diversification away from China.

Secretary Vilsack Testifies Before the Senate Ag Committee

At the end of February, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack testified before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry in a hearing titled, “Oversight of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.” This was the second time in the last month that the Secretary provided testimony before Members on Capitol Hill. Republicans and Democrats agreed on the need to pass a bipartisan farm bill. Republicans focused on the current state of the farm economy, expressing concern about the forecasted decrease in net farm income, high inflation, high interest rates, burdensome regulations, and declining commodity prices, whereas Democrats called attention to protecting nutrition and climate-smart conservation programs. Other topics discussed include ramifications of California’s Proposition 12, foreign ownership of American farmland, safety nets for farmers through crop insurance and disaster assistance, the Packers and Stockyards Act, support for small and medium-sized farms, strengthening local and regional food systems, foreign ownership of farmland, the agricultural trade deficit, and staffing challenges at USDA.

February 21, 2024

Secretary Vilsack Testifies Before the House Agriculture Committee

On Wednesday, February 14th, the House Agriculture Committee held a lengthy hearing featuring testimony from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack. Members from both parties agreed on the importance of passing a bipartisan farm bill that supports American farmers and addresses current agricultural challenges. Republicans focused on the struggles faced by farmers due to fractured supply chains, high input costs, inflation, natural disaster assistance, volatile markets, and labor shortages. Democrats emphasized their farm bill priorities, which include reducing hunger, strengthening American farmers, investing in sustainable agriculture, revitalizing rural America, lowering costs for farmers and families, and improving equity. Other common topics discussed during the 5-hour hearing included use of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds, trade promotion initiatives like the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP), rollout of the most recent Emergency Relief Program (ERP) for 2022 crop losses, fraud within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), forest management, ramifications of California’s Prop 12, and USDA direct and guaranteed loan programs. Secretary Vilsack is expected to testify before Congress once more in front of the Senate Agriculture Committee on February 28th.

House and Senate Agriculture Committee Democrats Outline Farm Bill Priorities

Over the last month, prominent Democrats on the House and Senate Agriculture Committees have released statements commenting on their priorities for the upcoming farm bill. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) first circulated a ‘Dear Colleague’ letter which outlined her proposal to strengthen the current farm safety net in the upcoming farm bill. She highlighted five key principles for modernizing the safety net, including targeting active farmers, providing choices and flexibility, timely assistance, expanding program reach, and addressing emerging risks for farmers. The Chairwoman pointed to crop insurance as being a crucial tool to utilize and improve upon in the upcoming farm bill, calling for more and affordable policy options across all commodities. While she recognized the need to update Title I reference prices, she suggested widespread reform to crop insurance could be a more effective solution to help combat challenges in the farm sector, such as supply chain disruptions and increased input costs, as opposed to the reliance on farm commodity programs during times of difficult market conditions. The letter also reiterated her commitment to a farm bill that fosters bipartisan support without taking funds from the nutrition and conservation titles. The link to the full letter can be found here. On the other side of the chamber, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member David Scott (D-GA) released a memo outlining the priorities which should be included in the next farm bill to garner support from the House Democratic Caucus. The memo outlines seven key principles: reducing hunger, strengthening America’s farmers, investing in sustainable agriculture, revitalizing rural America, lowering costs for farmers and families, improving equity, and supporting renewable energy and bioenergy. The memo also emphasizes that House Democrats will not support a farm bill which takes funding away from investments made through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) nor restricts access to nutrition programs. The memo can be found here.

USDA Announces New Investments in Specialty Crops

Towards the end of January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched the Assisting Specialty Crop Exports (ASCE) initiative to help support market development for specialty crops. Being administered by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), the ASCE will provide $65 million for projects aimed at reducing barriers unique to specialty crop producers in hopes of increasing global exports and expanding into new markets. The Department has identified three workstreams to assist specialty crop exporters: commodity-specific trade and regulatory capacity building; plastics and packaging, solutions; and funding a maximum of residue limits (MRL) database. Each of these workstreams address critical issues identified by specialty crop producers and exporters. It is the intent that these efforts will create new market opportunities and ensure existing markets remain open to specialty crop producers. This funding is part of the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP), a foreign market development and food security initiative, which was originally launched last October. In addition, USDA announced it was making $72.9 million available to states and territories through the Agricultural Marketing Service’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.

2024 Government Affairs Insights for Floral

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