Does not matter: Congress returns as December deadlines pile up

Nov 29, 2021

Presented by Feeding America Action

Quick Fix

— Congress is in for a whirlwind final month full of deadlines and must-pass legislative items. We have the rundown of what's in the hopper in the weeks ahead.

— The Agriculture Department announced new funding to help socially disadvantaged farmers participate in its programs, as part of its larger equity push.

— USDA's vaccination rate was the lowest among federal departments, according to new data, but it's up to par with other agencies when accounting for exemptions.

HAPPY MONDAY, NOV. 29! Welcome to Weekly Ag, where your host knows this December will be a busy one. What else should we be watching? Send tips to xbustillo@politico.com and @ximena_bustillo, and follow us @Morning_Ag.

A message from Feeding America Action:

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is rural America's hunger lifeline. Rural counties make up 87 percent of counties with the highest rates of food insecurity. Last year, USDA commodities like TEFAP provided 465 million pounds of food to rural communities. TEFAP is delivering for rural America but charities can't end hunger alone. Congress should support additional investments in TEFAP food purchases to help food banks meet the need in their communities. Learn more.

Driving the Day

THE BUSY DECEMBER TO-DO LIST: The Senate is barreling toward major deadlines in December as lawmakers look to fund the government and pass both the annual defense policy bill and Democrats' social spending package.

First up, spending: Congress has only a few days left to prevent a government shutdown ahead of the Dec. 3 deadline, and Democrats are already contemplating another stopgap to push the deadline later into December, as POLITICO's Caitlin Emma previously reported.

Even if lawmakers pass another continuing resolution that provides a few additional weeks to negotiate final appropriations for the rest of fiscal 2022, prospects are bleak for a bipartisan government funding deal before the end of December — likely necessitating another stopgap into early next year.

Don't forget the debt ceiling: A possible shutdown deadline of Dec. 17 (one of the dates Democrats had in mind) would run up against the Dec. 15 deadline when the Treasury Department could run out of money to pay the government's bills on time.

Let's talk defense: The fiscal 2022 National Defense Authorization Act , which includes provisions to address food insecurity among active-duty military members and their families, could take up much of the first week of December. But senators, before leaving town for the Thanksgiving break, fell short when trying to line up votes on nearly 20 amendments, reported our Morning Defense colleagues.

Senate passage of the NDAA next week would leave little time for the House and Senate to reconcile differences in their versions of the bill and pass a final version by the end of the calendar year. It's unclear whether lawmakers would even have enough time to convene a formal conference committee.

Dem's reconciliation bill: Democrats aren't expecting the Senate to take up the climate and social spending package until the second week of December at the earliest — and it's likely to face significant modifications in order to win the support of West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, the main Democratic holdout. Congressional sources tell your host they don't expect the agriculture provisions to take much of a hit.

Pending schedule: For now, the House and Senate are scheduled to be in session through Dec. 10 before adjourning for the rest of the year — but that timeline is likely to slip.

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Trade Corner

GLOBAL TRADE GATHERING CANCELED: A new variant of the coronavirus led the World Trade Organization on Friday to postpone indefinitely a major Ministerial Conference that was scheduled to begin Tuesday in Geneva, report Pro Trade's Doug Palmer and POLITICO Europe's Ashleigh Furlong.

Left on the table: The group was due to address several ag-related issues, including negotiators putting the finishing touches on a deal to reduce harmful fishing subsidies before ministers arrive. The fish subsidies negotiations are seen as a key test of the WTO's ability to reach agreement among all 164 members — something it has done just once since its founding in 1995.

DON'T MISS CONGRESS MINUTES: Need to follow the action on Capitol Hill blow-by-blow? Check out Minutes, POLITICO's new platform that delivers the latest exclusives, twists and much more in real time. Get it on your desktop or download the POLITICO mobile app for iOS or Android. CHECK OUT CONGRESS MINUTES HERE.

ICYMI

USDA DETAILS MORE EQUITY EFFORTS: The department last week announced $75 million in funding for 20 organizations to offer technical assistance and help connect underserved producers with USDA programs and services. The organizations, which USDA said had "proven track records" working with underserved producers including military veterans, beginning farmers and those in high-poverty areas, will help those producers with business and tax planning, "farmer advocacy" and other areas.

Follow the money: The funding comes from the latest Covid-19 relief package and will go to organizations such as the National Black Farmers Association, the Intertribal Agriculture Council and the Farmer Veteran Coalition. It's part of the $1 billion allocated by the package to fund equity initiatives at USDA, like addressing Heir's property, barriers to accessing programs and forming an Equity Commission.

About that Equity Commission: The member nomination period has been extended to Nov. 30.

USDA RECORDS LOWEST VACCINATION RATE: Data released last week by the Office of Management and Budget shows USDA had the lowest rate of vaccinated employees among all departments, with just over 86 percent of employees receiving at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, reports yours truly.

"Implementation of the [federal vaccine] requirement will not result in any disruptions to critical services that the American people depend on," USDA Communications Director Michael Amato said in an email to your host, adding that they anticipate more employees will be vaccinated over time. (Last week marked the deadline for government workers to comply with the Biden administration's federal vaccine mandate.)

By the numbers: While USDA is behind on vaccination numbers, it's closer to other agencies in general compliance, which includes both vaccinations and exception requests. The department had a 95.6 percent agency-wide compliance rate as of Nov. 23 — higher than a few other departments, including Homeland Security and Interior.

The federal government as a whole has reached 96.5 percent compliance (meaning employees have had at least one vaccine dose or have an approved or pending exemption request), with 92 percent of workers having received at least one dose. ( More details on other agencies here.)

What's next: White House officials have vowed that the requirements for federal workers and contractors will not cause disruptions to government services, and that agencies have flexibility to enforce the mandate without hampering their operations.

They also say the federal deadlines are not a "cliff," and that for those who don't comply with the deadline, the first step is "education and counseling."

For its part, USDA has held town halls, sent targeted emails and made phone calls to employees who haven't responded to the proof of vaccination survey.

A message from Feeding America Action:

Row Crops

— Agriculture and other industries are closely watching how the Biden administration will change federal rules to protect waterways and wetlands. E&E News' Hannah Northey has a deep-dive on how the decades-old fight began.

— A North Dakota farmer was taken into custody and accused by Ukrainian authorities of plotting an assassination attempt against the country's agriculture minister. DTN Progressive Farmer has more.

— Maryland's attorney general filed a lawsuit against Monsanto alleging that chemicals made by the company damaged natural resources for decades. The AP reports.

— Bradford pear trees were once seen as an ideal suburban plant, but have since become an unwieldy pest with an awful smell and an ability to take over other land. The New York Times has the story.

— Parts of Atlanta lack access to fresh and healthy food, a problem disportionately affecting Black residents. Urban farms are looking to change that. Read the story here.

— Vertical farms in urban and suburban areas could be the future of farming and a key to curbing hunger in America. The Daily Beast has more.

— A worldwide shortage of nitrogen fertilizer is raising food prices and forcing farmers to postpone some purchases ahead of the next planting season. The Guardian has the report.

— Already planning your next Thanksgiving meal? The Washington Post explains how climate change could change what we put on the menu.

10 a.m.: Foreign Policy holds the second day of its virtual food summit.

A message from Feeding America Action:

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is rural America's hunger lifeline.

TEFAP is delivering for our rural neighbors in need.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a federal nutrition program that helps charities like Feeding America, the largest hunger relief organization in the U.S., deliver nutritious foods from farmers to food banks to communities every day. Rural counties make up 87 percent of the counties with the highest rates of food insecurity. Last year, 96 percent of rural counties received TEFAP food items distributed by a food bank within the Feeding America network. Congress should support strong additional investments in TEFAP food purchases to help food banks meet the need in their neighborhoods. Learn more about TEFAP and how it provides a lifeline for rural communities facing hunger.

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 .