/Are we there yet (on infrastructure)?
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Are we there yet (on infrastructure)?

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— The Senate is closing in on an infrastructure deal. However A critical hurdle awaits Inside The house, the place Democratic leaders say they gained’t take up the invoice till price range reconciliation additionally movees the Senate.

— Janie Hipp was confirmed by the Senate to be The general counsel of the Division of Agriculture. Extra nominees stay on the desk.

— The Biden administration introduced an extension of the moratorium on evictions for househouse owners of properties financed or assured by USDA and completely diffelease businesses.

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A narrative OF TWO PACKAGES: The Senate spent An prolonged working weekend finalizing the textual content material of a bipartisan infrastructure package deal Which might spend $550 invoiceion on broadband enlargement, local climate movement, water infrastructure and roads, bridges and extrememethods, amongst completely diffelease provisions. However House leaders are nonetheless vowing To not vote on the invoice till a reconciliation measure additionally movees the Senate.

First on BIF: On Sunday, Majority Chief Chuck Schumer said he predicted the chamber would move the infrastructure framework “in a matter of days” and reiterated his vow that the chamber would move each the bipartisan invoice and a price range blueprint for Democrats’ $3.5 trillion social spending package deal earlier than the August recess, reviews POLITICO’s Marianne LeVine. However first, the invoice will Bear an arduous modification course of.

However many lawmakers, collectively with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), predicted the invoice Could have enough Republican assist to move. A procedural vote on the invoice final week was assisted by 18 Senate Republicans, collectively with Minority Chief Mitch McConnell.

What’s in it for ag: MA readers might Maintain in thoughts that the BIF consists of invoiceions in spending on the agriculture sector Similar to $65 invoiceion for rural broadband, of which $2 invoiceion is directed to the Agriculture Division. The measure would additionally spend invoiceions on carbon eradicating, firefighting and forest administration assets, tree planting and more.

However vital funding in biogasolines seems to have been Ignored of the invoice. Rep. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa) has prolonged raised considerations Regarding The scarcity of biogasoline language in the negotiations — one factor she says might assist scale again greenhouse gasoline emissions And curlease advantages to farmers who produce corn and soy for biogasolines.

Then there’s reconciliation: House Converseer Nancy Pelosi is sticking to her choice to not primarytain a vote on the infrastructure package deal till the estimated $3.5 trillion reconciliation invoice movees the Senate.

However even some Senate Democrats, like Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) have said They Need To diminish The worth of the reconciliation measure and tackle completely diffelease factors.

What’s in it for ag: There’s not a draft textual content material of the reconciliation package deal but However It is anticipated to deal with social packages collectively with entry to vitamin assist, school lunches and immigration.

SENATE CONFIRMS HIPP AFTER LONG WAIT: The Senate confirmed by voice vote Janie Hipp to Pertype widespread counsel for the Agriculture Division — two months after the Senate Agriculture Committee superior her nomination.

Broad bipartisan againing: Both Agriculture Committee chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Rating Member John Boozman (R-Ark.) voiced strong approval of the nominee over the weekend. Both applauded the bipartisan assist for Hipp regardless of earlier considerations that a Republican member was blocking The complete Senate vote.

Left To confirm: The full Senate nonetheless has to vote on the nomination of Jennifer Moffitt to be undersecretary for advertising and regulatory packages. The Senate Ag Committee has but to schedule a vote to advance the nominations of Robert Bonnie to be Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s prime local climate adviser and Xochitl Torres Small for undersecretary of rural enhancement. Both Bonnie and Torres Small confronted the panel final week. ICYMI: Our Ryan McCrimmon has more on that listening to.

Joyful Nationwide FARMERS MARKET WEEK: Vilsack traveled to Colorado on Sunday to kick off National Farmers Market Week with a go to to the Pearl Road Farmers Market in Denver.

Last week, Vilsack proclaimed The primary week of August As a Outcome of the time to rejoice farmers markets and direct-to-shopper agricultural merchandise.

EXTENDING EVICTIONS PAUSE: On Friday, Biden requested USDA, aprolongedside completely diffelease federal businesses, To enhance the foreclosures-associated eviction moratorium till Sept. 30.

“As Secretaries of Agriculture, HUD, VA, and Treasury, and Appearing Director of the FHFA, we acknowledge that our businesses curlease the monetary assets and incentives for federally-assisted and financed leaseal housing,” the leaders wrote in a joint assertion. “We now have to Clarify that the house owners and operators of this housing ought to make every effort to entry Emergency Rental Assistance (Period) assets to keep away from evicting a tenant for non-cost of lease.”

Funds from The latest pandemic aid package deal handed by Congress included $21.5 invoiceion for Emergency Rental Assistance To assist leaseers cowl their housing prices.

The USDA influence: The Agriculture department said it was dedicated to sharing Period program intypeation in rural communities.

Contained in the USDA Multi-Household portfolio, there are roughly 65,000 tenants who Do not acquire leaseal assist, Based mostly on the department. Earlier this month, USDA despatched letters To these tenants that included intypeation on The biggest Method To use for the Period program.

The department has additionally instructed Farm Service Agency and Rural Development State Workplaces to share Period program exhausting copy supplies with rural residents.

Related: Phyllis Fong, inspector widespread for USDA since 2002, was appointed as acting inspector widespread of the Federal Housing Finance Authority. She Goes to primarytain each posts. Professional Financial Providers’ Katy O’Donnell has more.

— Hashish corporations are tapping Proper into a mannequin new Method to promote their product: in liquid type. Professional Hashish’ Paul Demko hAs a Outcome of the story.

— The White House is getting ready to host listening durations and public conferences this month To Converse about plans for repealing and changing the Trump Navigable Waters Rule. Professional Power’s Annie Snider has more.

— California tomato growers are feeling pressured by drought, extreme demand and extreme prices, Based mostly on the Washington Submit.

— Farmers Throughout the globe are feeling the influence of local climate change, and are additionally discovering methods To make the most of latest know-how and assets To Reduce it. U.S. News and World Report has more.

— A gaggle in Hawaii is reinventing each merchandise and manufacturing coming from the islands, Forbes reviews.

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