Does not matter: Crunch time for Dems’ social spending talks

Oct 25, 2021

Presented by the National Confectioners Association

With help from Rebecca Rainey

Quick Fix

— Democrats are heading into a critical week of negotiations over the social spending package. Let's recap where the talks stand now.

— Farm and labor groups this week are closely watching the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which could announce any day now that it has completed a review on upcoming heat protection standards for indoor and outdoor workers.

— The Agriculture Department is rolling out more funding through its ReConnect Program, which aims to expand broadband access in rural areas.

HAPPY MONDAY, OCT. 25! Welcome to Morning Ag, where your host will now be taking spooky movie recommendations as we countdown to Halloween. Send tips to xbustillo@politico.com and @ximena_bustillo, and follow us @Morning_Ag.

A message from the National Confectioners Association:

This Halloween season is all about the family-owned businesses that employ people in our communities who make our favorite treats, elevating the traditions that connect us to one another. Chocolate and candy companies create and support good-paying jobs for hundreds of thousands of hard-working Americans. For every job created in confectionery manufacturing, another 11 are supported in related industries – a strong multiplier effect of 1:11. And that is the #PowerOfSweet. Learn more at PowerOfSweet.com.

DRIVING THE WEEK

NEW WEEK, NEW PUSH FOR RECONCILIATION DEAL: Democrats missed their loose deadline last week to come up with a new framework for a smaller, cheaper version of the $3.5 trillion spending package, including billions of dollars for forestry, conservation and climate research.

But Democrats ended the week with far more clarity from Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) than when they began, giving the party increasing confidence it can land a framework for the bill by the end of this month, reports POLITICO's Hill team.

What could be in the new bill: Democrats are aiming to sell Manchin and Sinema on a roughly $2 trillion bill that tackles climate action and expands paid family leave, education and child care — paid for, as much as possible, by increasing taxes on corporations and wealthy Americans. (They're unlikely to raise income or corporate tax rates, due to opposition from Sinema, but Democrats are considering workarounds to establish a corporate minimum tax and levy billionaires' assets.)

Regular MA readers may remember from last week that House and Senate Ag members are pressuring the Biden administration to preserve as many of the agriculture provisions as possible. That includes funding for conservation, biofuels and forestry programs.

Read more: Check out POLITICO's handy roundup of what's still in the bill, and what's up for grabs, here.

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THE HEAT IS ON: The White House budget office last week wrapped up its review of a Labor Department proposal that would establish the first-ever national rules to protect workers from heat stress on the job. The "prerule" from DOL's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is set to be released any day now that the White House review is complete.

Reminder for regulatory nerds: A prerule goes through an additional layer of public input. Amit Narang, a regulatory expert at the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, explained on Twitter that the prerule will be "published for comment and then moves to the proposal stage." A prerule is "just like a proposed rule but it's the 'scenic' route when it comes to rulemaking," Narang tweeted.

Why it matters: There's no uniform set of rules to protect workers from heat hazards, despite decades of pushing from activists, workers' rights groups and public health officials, a POLITICO and E&E News investigation found. The government also likely undercounts the number of workplace deaths and injuries that result from heat stress each year.

Only three states have heat safety standards (California, Minnesota and Washington), even as global warming makes extreme heat a more widespread danger to workers. Oregon enacted temporary emergency heat rules this summer amid a deadly heatwave, as your host reported. Washington tightened its rules this year, too, but the changes are also temporary.

USDA TO DOLE OUT MORE THAN $1 BILLION FOR RURAL BROADBAND: The department on Friday announced that $1.15 billion in grants and loans for its ReConnect Program would soon be available, reports our Meredith Lee . Funding will be targeted to "less populated" regions with the slowest internet speeds, which include tribal lands and socially vulnerable communities.

The telehealth angle: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said USDA will make a $50 million investment in 105 rural distance learning and telehealth projects across 37 states and Puerto Rico. Those technologies were widely used during the pandemic but remained inaccessible to many rural patients and students that lacked connectivity. Farmworker advocates also saw gaps among workers who lacked internet access to schedule Covid-19 vaccine appointments — prompting some groups to set up phone lines themselves, Pro's Liz Crampton previously reported.

What's next: The Biden administration is hoping for another wave of broadband funding if Congress passes the bipartisan infrastructure bill, H.R. 3684 (117). While negotiations among Democrats have held up final passage, the USDA has been stepping up its efforts to expand broadband to promote President Joe Biden's infrastructure commitments in rural America.

Related: Today, Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and USDA Rural Development Undersecretary Xochitl Torres Small are expected to meet with community leaders and Virginia telecommunications officials in Goochland County to discuss their efforts to expand broadband access in Central Virginia and beyond.

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Row Crops

— The president met Friday with Robert Califf, another sign that the former FDA commissioner is Biden's top pick to lead the agency for a second time, Pro Healthcare's Adam Cancryn and David Lim report.

— Canada and Germany are expected to reveal their plan today to corral $100 billion annually in climate financing for lower-income countries, reports Pro Canada's Zi-Ann Lum.

— Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen declared climate change an emerging danger to the financial system in a report by the Financial Stability Oversight Council. Pro Financial Services' Victoria Guida has the details.

— Chuck Bundrant, the founder of Trident Foods, died on Saturday. Bundrant was known as an innovator, from the design of his crabber boat to persuading giant fast-food chains to switch their fish sandwiches from cod to pollock. The New York Times has more.

A message from the National Confectioners Association:

THAT'S ALL FOR MA! Drop us a line: xbustillo@politico.com; hbottemiller@politico.com; meredithlee@politico.com; gmott@politico.com and pjoshi@politico.com .

A message from the National Confectioners Association:

America's chocolate and candy companies are essential to the American workforce. They are powerful drivers of the economy, and they are moment-makers during the Halloween season and at special times throughout the entire year. Makers of chocolate, candy, gum and mints create about 58,000 manufacturing jobs, and support nearly 700,000 good-paying American jobs in related industries, including agriculture, retail, transportation and more. The industry generates $37 billion in retail sales each year and is essential to cities and towns across the country, operating more than 1,600 manufacturing facilities in all 50 states. Candy makers are leading the way at Halloween and all year long on important topics like portion guidance, sustainability and diversity to help create a sweeter future for all of us. And that is the #PowerOfSweet. Learn more at PowerOfSweet.com.