Earlier this year, the Government Accountability Office ruled Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack could use the Commodity Credit Corporation to fund climate programs, but some lawmakers wanted to limit his authority on using it.
The 2024 Ag Spending Bill held a provision to roll back Secretary Vilsack’s CCC spending authority. That move failed on the House floor, and the Senate bill did not even include it. However, Senator John Hoeven with the Senate Ag Appropriations Subcommittee says feelings around CCC spending largely depend on who is in office.
Spending restrictions were put in place after the 2010 Congressional campaign, but were lifted in 2018 to compensate farmers for the trade war with China and the pandemic.
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Union leaders warn many federal researchers may leave their jobs rather than move to regional hubs.
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USDA says planting progress remains strong nationwide, though some soybean fields are still slow to emerge.
