Another impeachment move in the U.S. House threatens to further slow a President-elect Joe Biden agenda and cabinet confirmations, adding new complications for Ag policymaking.
Impeachment 2.0, if House Speaker Pelosi proceeds this week barring President Trump’s unlikely resignation just days from the transition, might not help agriculture.
American Farm Bureau’s Andrew Walmsley, interviewed ahead of last week’s Capitol siege, says things were already tough with the House and Senate so narrowly divided.
“While not as much legislation might get passed, outside of these big bills that we’ve seen in the past…hopefully they can cooperate together…bipartisanship for the general good. It’ll be a lot of discussion and focus, but maybe not as much legislating.” Walmsley and other officials would not comment further, following last week’s deadly siege of the Capitol by Trump supporters. National Farmers Union and National Cattlemen did not immediately respond for comment.
But Walmsley suggested ahead of the attack, AFB would be in a reactive mode until new legislation moves.
“I think we’ll definitely be prepared to react, whatever’s decided on a package. Like I said, there’s only so may bites of the apple, so there’s definitely a temptation to load something up…and we need to make sure that we’re positioned in a correct way. But our immediate focus, right now, is getting CFAP III set up—especially with a transition of government.”
Democrats could move swiftly on impeachment but delay a Senate trial for the first 100-days of the Biden Administration…though some Republicans argue even that could harm bipartisanship, needed for cabinet confirmations like Ag Secretary.
Separately, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it will review an appeals court ruling that overturned three Trump EPA-granted small refinery ethanol waivers under the RFS. Biofuel and farm groups voiced confidence they would win again at the high court.
