WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD-TV) — The Senate has approved a continuing resolution to reopen the federal government and fund several key departments — including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) — through next September. However, the plan still requires House passage and President Donald Trump’s signature to take effect.
The measure would end the shutdown once enacted, restoring full USDA operations from farm-program offices to market reporting, inspections, and nutrition programs after weeks of scaled-down service. It also guarantees back pay for federal employees and stabilizes agency budgets that producers depend on year-round.
For agriculture, the bill’s structure matters: it provides full fiscal-year funding for USDA rather than a short rolling extension, giving FSA, NRCS, AMS, and RMA clearer financial direction through harvest and into 2026. Loan servicing, disaster assistance, market reports, and grading and inspection programs would resume immediately after enactment. Nutrition programs like WIC and SNAP — which have been operating under court-directed contingency funding — would also regain secure appropriations.
Markets are watching for House action, where timing and amendments could still affect final passage. If the House clears the bill and the President signs it, USDA will return to normal operations and begin working through backlogs in payments, data releases, and delayed sign-ups. Until then, agencies remain in limited-service mode as producers wait for the final steps.
Farm-Level Takeaway: The Senate has cleared a path to reopen USDA, but full restoration of services depends on House approval and the President’s signature.
Tony St. James, RFD-TV Markets Specialist
Updated Dicamba information is the topic of today’s Firm to Farm blog post by RFD-TV’s agri-legal expert Roger McEowen with the Washburn School of Law.
February 27, 2024 11:19 AM
·
In this Firm to Farm blog post by RFD-TV legal expert Roger McEowen, he looks ahead at what might be the biggest issues in ag law and tax in 2024.
February 23, 2024 01:50 PM
·
In part seven of his blog series,"Top 10 Developments in Ag Law and Tax in 2023,” agri-legal expert Roger McEowen covers the #1 issues, SCOTUS and defining a “Water of the United States.”
February 22, 2024 01:15 PM
·
In part six of his blog series,"Top 10 Developments in Ag Law and Tax in 2023,” farm legal expert Roger McEowen tackles issue #2, foreign ownership of ag land.
February 02, 2024 08:00 AM
·
In part five of his blog series, “Top 10 Developments in Ag Law and Tax in 2023,” Roger McEowen tackles issue number three, California’s Prop 12 pork regulations.
February 01, 2024 04:06 PM
·
In part four of his blog series, “Top 10 Developments in Ag Law and Tax in 2023,” Roger McEowen tackles issue number four, the Employment Retention Credit.
January 31, 2024 09:00 AM
·
In part three of his blog series, “Top 10 Developments in Ag Law and Tax in 2023,” Roger McEowen covers the Corps of Engineers’ mismanagement of Missouri River water levels.
January 30, 2024 02:29 PM
·
Two more key developments in ag law and taxation from 2023, a crackdown on biodiesel fraud and developments in self-employment taxation (#7 and #6), are the topic of today’s Firm to Farm blog post, the second in a series by RFD-TV agri-legal expert Roger McEowen.
January 18, 2024 12:44 PM
·
The start of the review of the most important ag law and tax developments of 2023—that is the topic of today’s Firm to Farm blog post by RFD-TV agri-legal expert Roger A. McEowen
January 04, 2024 12:20 PM
·
