A look ahead at 2018 in D.C.

By Sarah Hubbart, director, Michael Torrey Associates

As the first year of President Trump’s administration closes out, Congress remains in the now-familiar position of grappling with wide-sweeping legislation and government funding showdowns.

Tax reform: Both the House and Senate have passed separate tax reform plans, with some big differences that must be resolved by a conference committee that aims to finalize a package for President Trump’s signature before the end of the year. The Senate bill that was approved  on Dec. 2 has several implications for agriculture, including increased deductions for pass-throughs, but also an elimination of the Section 199 deduction that many cooperatives utilize.

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Congress passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) on December 7 to fund the government until December 22. They are now tasked with passing a spending bill for the rest of FY 2018 or potentially another short-term CR into January 2018 to provide more time to negotiate a full-year spending package.

There has been speculation if a solution for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program could be tied to the spending package. However, House leaders including Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., have indicated that their immigration task force’s work is separate from the CR and that they intend to meet the president’s March deadline.

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Labor: There has been no movement on the Agricultural Guestworker (AG) Act by Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., since it advanced through the House Judiciary Committee on Oct. 26 by a 17-16 vote. In November, Goodlatte announced he will retire in 2018.

Trade: This remains a focus for the administration as NAFTA re-negotiations continue. The timeline for finalizing the agreement has been extended until March. Chief negotiators will be meeting in D.C. for inter-sessional talks to set the stage for the sixth round of negotiations Jan. 23-28 in Montreal. The agriculture industry and other manufacturers remain concerned about the potential for the U.S. to withdraw from the agreement.

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Farm bill: House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders appear poised for action on the farm bill in early 2018. Both committees held hearings and listening sessions. Issues such as potential fixes for the Margin Protection Program (MPP), food stamp reform and funding for market access programs will likely be major discussion items. Movement on the farm bill will depend on the congressional calendar and the movement of other top priorities. Both committees are committed to completing work on the bill before the current legislation expires on Sept. 30.

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Edge’s team is closely monitoring these issues and engaged to ensure your voice is heard in D.C.