Good afternoon, and thanks for reading this week’s Farm Brief.
Senators confirmed Brooke Rollins to serve as Agriculture Secretary in a 72-28 vote today. Meanwhile, House Republicans began marking up a budget framework that would cut $230 billion over 10 years from the agency Rollins will oversee as both chambers eye a slimmed-down Agriculture Department to make room for tax cut and border security spending priorities the GOP wants to push through Congress.
The fiscal gap between House and Senate budget proposals introduced this week, however, is wide. Senate Agriculture Committee members would have to find at least $1 billion ...