| | | | |  | | By Garrett Downs | | | With help from Meredith Lee Hill
| | — Questions are still swirling around the bill that will fund the Agriculture Department and Food and Drug Administration. MA breaks down the dynamics shaping the debate. — The Federal Maritime Commission will meet to discuss shipping disruptions in the Red Sea, which risk raising food prices at an inopportune time for Democrats ahead of the November elections. — MA caught up with new K Street hire Ken Barbic, a former ag and trade official in the Trump and George W. Bush administrations. HAPPY MONDAY, Feb. 5. I’m your host, Garrett Downs. Send tips to gdowns@politico.com and @_garrettdowns, and follow us at @Morning_Ag.
| | A message from CropLife America: U.S. farmers’ access to pesticides, which are critical for growing crops in an affordable and sustainable way, is in jeopardy because of misguided state regulatory efforts. Over 360 agricultural and other groups support the bipartisan Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act to help the U.S. correct course while still allowing for local use case restrictions. Find out how the Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act protects America’s farmers. | | | | | | | 
Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) and House Appropriations ranking member Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.). | Francis Chung/E&E News | AG-FDA’S RACE TO THE FINISH: Congress is racing to fund the government before a partial shutdown March 1, and appropriators in both chambers are busy hammering out details that will divvy up $1.7 trillion for fiscal year 2024. Context: Last week, top appropriators locked in a deal that splits up the $1.7 trillion topline across the 12 appropriations subcommittees — figures called 302(b)s or subcommittee allocations. Lawmakers are now crafting new spending bills, including the Ag-FDA bill, to conform with those allocations. But most of the details around those allocations remain closely under wraps. That includes the total money available to appropriators funding the USDA and FDA; how much money will be available to make up a funding shortfall that could push eligible Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children recipients onto waiting lists; and the ultimate fate of House policy riders to limit abortion access. WIC: Funding for WIC has emerged as a central issue in the Ag-FDA bill. The White House has requested a supplemental $1 billion, which has run into tough GOP headwinds on Capitol Hill. The top Democrat on the House Appropriations Ag subpanel, Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), suggested to us last week that there may be enough money in the subcommittee's allocation to avoid eligible people being turned away. “There is enough because the allocation is more than the FY23 allocation,” Bishop said when asked by MA if there would be enough funds available to fulfill the Biden administration’s request for additional funding. “How it gets allocated within that 302(b) by the subcommittee is the issue.” Asked specifically about the $1 billion the White House and Democrats are seeking, Bishop said: “We would like to make sure that all people who are eligible or may become eligible for WIC, that the resources will be there in the event they need it.” Top takeaways: Bishop also said he was happy enough with the final funding allotment for USDA and FDA, saying it was a slight increase since last year. Democrats have warned that many appropriations wins this time will be simply securing flat funding for programs that House Republicans want to slash. Abortion rider: The original House Ag-FDA bill included a rider to ban mail delivery of the abortion pill mifepristone, which ultimately doomed the bill on the floor after a revolt from centrist Republicans. House Republicans, for now, are digging in hard to keep the abortion riders in the appropriations talks, two lawmakers familiar tell Meredith. That will become an issue in the coming days when the entire Appropriations Committee needs to hammer out final details. The controversial GOP riders will likely ultimately be dropped in the final stages of the talks, the people said, as they would be doomed by centrists, a Democratic-controlled Senate and Democratic President Joe Biden.
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| | |  A ship transits the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea on Jan. 10, 2024 in Ismailia, Egypt. | Sayed Hassan/Getty Images | FMC TAKES ON RED SEA DISRUPTIONS: The FMC Wednesday will hold a hearing on international shipping disruptions in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, following weeks of attacks on maritime and naval vessels by Iran-backed Houthi militia. The FMC, which is the U.S. regulator of international ocean shipping, will hear from a number of stakeholders including Peter Friedmann, executive director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition and Eric Bartsch, the secretary of the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council and the American Pulse Association. Context: Houthi militants have been engaging in consistent attacks on commercial vessels in the region, gumming up one of the world’s largest shipping routes. As Meredith, Ari Hawkins and Adam Cancryn reported, the attacks threaten to drive up global food prices and other key consumer goods if they continue. The U.S. and U.K., along with support from a slate of other allies, carried out 13 additional strikes on Saturday against the Houthi militias in Yemen, aimed at disrupting and degrading “the capabilities of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia to conduct their reckless and destabilizing attacks against U.S. and international vessels lawfully transiting the Red Sea,” according to a statement from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Why it matters: The timing of the Red Sea attacks couldn’t be worse for Biden and the Democrats down the ballot — who have been battling inflation for the last few years and are desperate to fend off any blows to an economy that is making significant gains in its recovery. Warning signs: An NBC News poll on Sunday found Biden more than 20 points behind his chief rival, former President Donald Trump, on who respondents think would better handle the economy.
| | | | A message from CropLife America:   | | | | | MA INTERVIEWS KEN BARBIC: MA caught up with former Trump administration assistant secretary of agriculture for congressional affairs Ken Barbic to talk about his new role at D.C. lobbying firm Invariant. Barbic, who also held roles at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in the George W. Bush administration and the House Ways and Means Committee, said he aims to bridge the gap between the private sector and Washington lawmakers. “Companies and associations have clear objectives and lobbying goals on Capitol Hill,” he said. “But there’s a lot of need just to understand how this place works.” On the issues: The farm bill: Barbic said the farm bill is a “big focus” of ag groups and companies, but noted the funding battle for the upcoming bill is stalling policy discussions. “The money still hasn’t been totally figured out yet,” he said. “That’s always going to drive what the policy ends up looking like … so until we see more direction in that space, we probably won’t see decisions on the policy front just yet.” Immigration: Congress has long struggled to unlock an immigration deal that would solve agriculture’s labor shortage problem, a reality Barbic chalks up to “political interests on both sides [being] really tough to crack on the broader issue of immigration.” With that said, Barbic said he does see some potentially good signs for a future deal. Namely, he said a new policy change from the American Farm Bureau Federation to potentially accept a visa cap on a year-round agricultural visa program Congress may create “is probably a helpful dynamic.” Barbic also said the issue may get more “traction” as it proliferates beyond just being a regional issue. Trade: The U.S. is projected to run a trade deficit in agriculture again this year, which Barbic called an “ongoing issue that agriculture needs to continue to think through and address in a more nuanced and sophisticated way.” “Will China continue buying at the same levels for the next 10 to 20 years? That’s a question mark for people,” he said. “But we have plenty of allies that are not as food secure as we are; we should continue to be pressing those relationships and opportunities to find homes for our U.S.-produced agricultural products.”
| | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S GOVERNORS SUMMIT: Join POLITICO on Feb. 22 to dive into how Governors are wielding immense power. While Washington remains gridlocked, governors are at the center of landmark decisions in AI and tech, economic development, infrastructure, housing, reproductive health and energy. How are they setting the stage for the future of American politics, policies and priorities? How are they confronting major challenges? Explore these questions and more at the 2024 Governors Summit. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | | — Lawmakers want answers on China’s involvement in the U.S.’ illicit cannabis industry, our Natalie Fertig reports. — A hidden prison labor force is linked to a number of known food brands. (AP News) — Cattle and beef prices are up. (Successful Farming) — Breaking down Europe’s spreading farmer protests. (POLITICO Europe) THAT’S ALL FOR MA! Drop us a line: gdowns@politico.com, meredithlee@politico.com, marciabrown@politico.com, mmartinez@politico.com, abehsudi@politico.com and ecadei@politico.com.
| | A message from CropLife America: 360+ agricultural groups back the bipartisan Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act to protect our food supply, farmers’ livelihoods, and the environment. Some states are trying to enact pesticide labeling requirements that directly contradict scientific guidance from the EPA, jeopardizing farmers’ access to pesticides—a critical input for growing crops.
If not addressed, this will create an unworkable patchwork of regulations that directly impacts the availability of these essential products for farmers—lowering yields, increasing farmers’ costs, threatening domestic food security, and ultimately, raising prices for consumers, while erasing decades of conservation gains. The Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act ensures these products remain available while not affecting state and localities' ability to restrict pesticide use, or any individual’s rights in the legal process. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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