New Leadership in D.C. Has Work to Do for Farmers and Ranchers
Sam Kieffer
Vice President, Public Policy
Chad Smith
Associate News Service Editor, NAFB
photo credit: AFBF Photo, Philip Gerlach
Sam Kieffer
Vice President, Public Policy
Chad Smith
Associate News Service Editor, NAFB
New leaders on the Congressional Ag Committees and in the White House mean new opportunities for advocacy. Chad Smith has more.
Smith: Election 2024 is behind us, and some new faces are taking over leadership on the House and Senate Ag Committees. Sam Kieffer, Vice President of Public Policy for the American Farm Bureau Federation, says the four leaders of the committees have a wealth of experience.
Kieffer: The House Ag Committee Chairman is Glen “G.T.” Thompson from Pennsylvania. He's well-established. New ranking committee member, Angie Craig from Minnesota, is new but not inexperienced. On the Senate side, John Boozman, from Arkansas, takes over as the committee chairman. He's been serving as the leading Republican for a while, and joining him from the other side of the aisle is Senator Amy Klobuchar from the Democrats. Again, new to her post, not new to Congress, not new to the Ag Committee.
Smith: Once the new Congress is sworn in on January 3, they’ve got to get to work right away.
Kieffer: They need to get back to the business of doing a farm bill. We've been kicking the can down the road for the better part of two years. Congress also has to deal with expiring tax provisions before the end of 2025. Not to mention, there's a number of regulatory oversight opportunities for members of Congress. They also need to figure out the budget, and the current budget only goes until March.
Smith: Outside of the halls of Congress, there will also be a new President in the White House.
Kieffer: We've been working with the Trump transition since Election Day, letting them know where farmers and ranchers are on policy issues and what their wants and needs might be. As we look to the new Congress, we've been hitting the ground for the last several months, getting ready to focus on the tax issues, continue the conversation on the farm bill, and make sure that the regulatory oversight opportunities get some attention paid to them.
Smith: For updates on these issues and more, keep an eye on fb.org throughout 2025. Chad Smith, Washington.
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