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Flake lifts Senate hold on Chief Ag Negotiator nominee: Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., announced Thursday he had released his hold on the nomination of Gregg Doud, currently president of the Commodity Markets Council, to become chief agricultural negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office (USTR).  In press statement, Flake said he did so after receiving commitments on North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) priorities from both USTR and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. “Given the importance of U.S. agriculture and what’s at stake for them in the NAFTA ... Read More

TPP countries strike a deal without the U.S.: Negotiators from 11 Pacific Rim nations agreed Tuesday on a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, a year after President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the talks.The partners will now work toward signing the agreement by early March. The agreement includes: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.   Trump said during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as well as in an interview with CNBC on Thursday, that he would be ... Read More

NGFA issues confidential member alert on Section 199A provision of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017: Considerable concern has been raised in the marketplace about how the new Section 199A – included during the waning hours of congressional consideration of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 – is influencing producer marketing decisions. Earlier today, NGFA President Randy Gordon issued a report to members on the actions NGFA has taken - and is taking - to address this important industry issue. Included is a link to a joint statement issued by the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and ... Read More

Congress attempts to avoid a government shutdown: The House adopted a four-week continuing resolution to keep the government funded late Thursday, but Senate Democrats are withholding support over an immigration deal and a longer-term agreement on spending levels. Current appropriations expire at midnight tonight. Republicans control the Senate by a 51-49 margin, but 60 votes are needed to fund the government. A couple of Republicans have indicated they will not vote for the continuing resolution as it stands. Senate Republicans are meeting this morning to discuss a path forward. If the ... Read More

Perdue remains optimistic about NAFTA deal: Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue told a National Press Club luncheon audience on Dec. 12 that he remains optimistic that the United States, Canada and Mexico ultimately will be successful in achieving a modernized North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that benefits the people and economies of all three countries. Joking that he had asked Santa for a NAFTA deal, Perdue noted that President Trump is a "tough negotiator" and conceded that U.S. negotiating strategy may create "some anxiety along the way." But he said he was ... Read More

Congress sends Trump stopgap spending bill for fiscal 2018: Congress passed a two-week spending bill on Thursday, with one day remaining before the government would enter a partial shutdown absent new funding. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the measure into law today. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., said no decisions have been made about how to fund the federal government for the remainder of fiscal year 2018 (Oct. 1, 2017-Sept. 30, 2018) after Dec. 22, and noted that a third continuing resolution will be needed. Senators meet with Trump on RFS: President Donald Trump ... Read More

House passes tax reform bill: The House passed a tax reform bill on Thursday by a 227-205 party line vote, with 13 Republicans opposed. "Passing this bill is the single biggest thing we can do to grow the economy, restore opportunity and help these middle-income families that are struggling," said House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., while celebrating the vote. The House-passed bill reduces the top corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, cuts the number of tax income brackets from seven to four, and limits interest deductibility to 30 percent of taxable income. Also included in ... Read More

Senate introduces its tax plan proposal: Senate Finance Committee Republicans on Nov. 9 unveiled their framework for overhauling the tax code, diverging in some areas from the House plan approved by the House Ways and Means Committee this week. The Senate's proposal would reduce the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, but would delay this cut until 2019. The Senate plan also would eliminate a provision of current tax law that allows state and local tax deductions. The House bill would allow a deduction for up to $10,000 in property taxes, but end deductions for income or ... Read More