Washington outlook - October 2018

With only a few working weeks left in the 115^th Congress, several priorities remain unresolved while others have picked up steam.

In this congressional session, there were a lot of efforts dedicated to finding a path forward on a year-round agriculture work visa that dairy farmers could use. Congress has yet to act on the issue, but it has become top of mind for many lawmakers. Edge remains engaged and is urging congressional leadership to stay committed to passing the Ag and Legal Workforce Act.

On a more positive note, new trading opportunities have emerged after many months of uncertainty. The steel and aluminum tariffs remain a sticking point, but in recent weeks the administration has made progress with Mexico and Canada (USMCA), South Korea and Japan.

Farm bill: The Sept. 30 deadline has passed and the 2014 farm bill is expired. At the time of this publication the conference committee had not reached agreement on a compromised version. The four principals from the House and Senate Agriculture committees continue to meet with the goal of moving a new farm bill this congressional session regardless of the mid-term election results. Congress could move it during lame duck that is set to begin on Nov. 13. If it fails to pass this session, the next Congress will need to start the process over.

Congress does have the option to pass an extension of the 2014 farm bill, but that isn’t likely until current negotiation efforts have run out. Once a final version is agreed upon, it must pass through both chambers before going to the president for signature.

Mid-term elections: Nov. 6 is Election Day. The House and Senate are currently controlled by a Republican majority, something that could change. In the House, Republicans hold 237 seats over 193 seats held by Democrats. Democrats need to pick up 23 seats to change the majority in the House.

In the Senate, Republicans hold a two-seat majority over the Democrats, but 35 seats are on the ballot and Democrats are defending 26 of them. If the congressional majorities shift, chamber leadership and committee chairs will change. Jan. 3 will be the first day of the new congressional session.