Agribusiness Update for Thursday 12/26/13

Agribusiness Update for Thursday 12/26/13

This is the Agribusiness Update...I'm Greg Martin...

Currently - the federal government is working under a continuing resolution - which will end January 15th. Congress has to pass individual appropriations bills or a combined funding bill by then to avoid another government shutdown. Since Congress reached a budget deal last week - House and Senate Appropriations committees and subcomittees must now work through details of spending bills.

The EPA recently sent a draft rule to the Office of Management and Budget to clarify the definition of waters of the U.S. and its jurisdiction over them. Agriculture groups in the Waters Advocacy Coalition - including the American Farm Bureau Federation - met with the OMB to argue against EPA's proposed rule. The proposed rule is based on a report EPA released in September on connected waters - which describes factors influencing water connectivity and how connected waters affect downstream waters.

When the President nominated Senator Max Baucus to be the U.S. Ambassador to China last week the nomination caused some questions as to whether or not Baucus could lead the Senate to pass a trade promotion authority bill before he leaves the Senate.

That's today's Agribusiness Update from the Ag Information Network.

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