The House passes a continuing resolution to fund the government through November with a measure for more reporting from the USDA.
After some uncertainty, Politico reports lawmakers have agreed to leave trade aid funding in the government spending bill, but committee chair, Nita Lowey, has demanded more accountability. A USDA report will detail where the money is going, including a state by state breakdown, and crop-specific figures.
Lawmakers also want to know about any foreign-owned companies benefiting from the trade mitigation package. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue says the USDA isn’t hiding anything and that the agency would be happy to provide the reports by the October 31st deadline.