Congress returned on Friday, January 3, to begin the 119th Congress. One of the first orders of business was electing a Speaker of the House. Despite concerns from some members of the House Republican Conference, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) was reelected by almost all the Republican Conference’s slim majority. The focus now shifts to reconciliation, and the current expectation is for a reconciliation package to include provisions related to tax and debt limit. Other issue areas, including agriculture, are expected to be included; however, these conversations are just beginning to take shape. In the Senate, committees are also preparing to hold nomination hearings for the incoming Administration’s named appointees. While nothing has been officially announced, Brooke Rollins, who has been nominated to be the next Secretary of Agriculture, is expected to have her hearing the week of January 13.

Before leaving for the holidays, Congress passed a continuing resolution to fund the government through March 14. Also included in the package was a one-year farm bill extension and $30.78 billion in financial support for agricultural producers. Of this total, $20.78 billion will help producers impacted by natural disasters during 2023 and 2024, while $10 billion will be used to provide economic assistance for farmers to offset the impacts of poor market conditions.

Over the holiday break, House and Senate Republicans, as well as Senate Democrats, finalized Committee rosters for the 119th Congress. In the House, Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Tony Wied (R-WI), Rob Bresnahan (R-PA), Mark Harris (R-NC), Mark Messmer (R-IN), and David Taylor (R-OH) will be joining the Committee. In the Senate, Sens. Jim Justice (R-WV), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) will be joining. House Democrats are still finalizing their rosters and will release those once they are completed. Democratic Agriculture Committee leadership will also be new this Congress, with Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) moving into Agriculture Committee ranking roles for the first time.