LINCOLN, Neb. — This week, the U.S. House of Representatives took the unprecedented step of removing now former Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, from his position. While this news and the discussion on every “what’s next” scenario has been discussed ad nauseum on cable news, podcasts, and traditional media, very few, if any, have focused on explaining what this may mean for Ag policy. As we regularly say, Farm Bureau is a policy focused organization involved in a very political business, and this week’s events again highlight that reality. While I’ll leave much of the political and electoral discussion for the political prognosticators on cable news, here are a few things farmers and ranchers should keep in mind as to the potential fallout of this week’s events.
General Ramifications
Overall, the moves taken in the House this week delay consideration of all legislation. From spending and labor reform legislation to finally passing the next Farm Bill, all legislative activity in the House of Representatives has come to a halt. I’ll get into the Farm Bill in a second, but directly after the vote on Tuesday, Oct. 3, Congress adjourned and won’t be back until Tuesday the Oct. 10. That pause in legislative action now only gives the body just over 30 days to develop another plan to fund the federal government past the early November cutoff of the recently passed Continuing Resolution (CR) which prevented the federal government from shutting down. While Farm Bureau is a strong believer in a small, very limited federal government, I would argue we also want that government to be run efficiently and effectively. Short-gap spending measures that come together at the last minute with input by only Congressional Leadership should not be how our federal government operates. Both the House and the Senate should be doing the hard work of developing and passing full Appropriations bills that fund necessary programs, but also finally get our nation’s financial house back in order. Unfortunately, very little of that work will continue until the House selects a new Speaker.
Farm Bill
One of the largest legislative casualties of the actions of this week is the new Farm Bill. Throughout 2023, Farm Bureau has worked closely with Speaker McCarthy and his team to try and get a new Farm Bill passed out of the House this year. I won’t cast judgment on the broader work of the former Speaker, but I will say that Mr. McCarthy was a staunch believer in the need to get a new Farm Bill signed into law. Outside of simply delaying passage of a new bill, the actions of this week also create additional uncertainty surrounding what policy battles may or may not ensue once a new Farm Bill is delivered to the floor of the House. We already knew that the House and Senate versions would likely look very different considering Republicans control the House and Democrats control the Senate. However, a new Speaker will likely have new priorities which may or may not align with what we’re trying to accomplish. Farm Bills aren’t normally partisan pieces of legislation but given the rise in the political temperature in Washington, that may not necessarily be the case with this new bill. Ultimately, a new Farm Bill or an extension must be signed into law before the end of the calendar year or we revert back to 1940’s “permanent law” which puts the federal government completely in charge of large portions of our agricultural production system. From quotas on grain and dairy production to large government purchasing systems of antiquated loan programs, we simply cannot allow the Farm Bill to fully expire.
Final Thoughts
Whether or not you support the removal of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House of Representatives is ultimately up to you. I’m not here to say it was good or bad. What I will say as your “DC insider from afar” as I have been called, is that this certainly adds considerable uncertainty to the system. Who will be the next Speaker? How long will it take to select the next one? Will there be any rule changes? Do they support or even understand Ag policy? All of these questions and many others will be answered in the days and weeks to come. Whatever the outcome and whatever the political fallout, remember that Farm Bureau has outlived every political leader our nation has had since our founding in 1917 for the Nebraska Farm Bureau and 1919 for the American Farm Bureau. No matter who’s the next Speaker, Senate Majority Leader, or President of the United States, Farm Bureau will continue to work to ensure our elected leaders understand agricultural policy. We are and will continue to be the “Unified Voice of Farmers and Ranchers.”
— Jordan Dux, Sr. Director of National Affairs
Nebraska Farm Bureau
