Bill Huffman
Director - Government Relations

The Friday Report

November 19, 2010

Congress was in session for three days this week. This was the week that they selected their respective leadership teams for the House and the Senate for next year. John Boehner was selected by Republicans to be the next Speaker of the House and Nancy Pelosi will become the minority leader for the Democrats next year. Harry Reid will continue to be the Democratic leader in the Senate and Mitch McConnell will retain his title as the Republican minority leader.

The Congress adjourned last evening and will be out next week for their annual Thanksgiving recess. There was no action on extending the 2001 Bush tax cuts this week, just a lot of posturing between the Democrats and the Republicans. A meeting for the leaders of both parties in the House and Senate with President Obama set for Thursday to discuss the tax cut extension issue was cancelled by the Republicans and so the political posturing over that issue will continue for a few days. In the end, we believe there will be a compromise, perhaps a one or two year extension of those tax cuts combined with a political understanding on extension of unemployment benefits and probably raising the Federal debt ceiling early next year.

When Congress returns to session on November 29th, the Senate is expected to take up a Food Safety bill that has been pending for several weeks. Another vote is likely on extension of unemployment benefits and there will continue to be discussion about extension of the Bush tax cuts, action on the exemption for the alternative minimum tax issue, and there will need to be another “continuing resolution” to fund the government into early next year. The Democrats will likely try to bring up a vote on the “don’t ask, don’t tell” issue in the military and there is the likelihood that they will try to bring up the so-called Dream Act that would allow children of illegal immigrants to continue to receive Federal aid for college if they attended and graduated from an American high school after attending for a minimum of three years and actually graduating.

Senator Stabenow to be Chair of the Agriculture Committee

It was announced today that Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, will become Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee succeeding Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas who was defeated earlier this month in the election. Senator Kent Conrad, D-North Dakota, decided to continue as Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, a much more high profile position... Senator Stabenow served on the Agriculture Committee during the development of the 2008 Farm Bill, working to insert programs beneficial to “specialty crops” and the dairy industry.

Election Update

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski claimed victory this week in her “write-in” election effort in Alaska. According to the State of Alaska tally, Senator Murkowski had a lead at week’s end of 10,400 votes over the Tea Party candidate Joe Miller of Fairbanks. Miller filed another lawsuit this week, this one seeking a Federal injunction barring the State of Alaska’s election officials from certifying those election results. Senator Murkowski worked very hard this past year to move legislation that would have prohibited Federal EPA from invoking administrative rules on climate change after Republicans and some Democrats blocked the so-called “cap and trade” program being advocated by liberal and progressive Democrats in the Congress.

In the San Joaquin Valley, we are still awaiting the final election results in Congressman Jim Costa’s district. Mr. Costa, at last count, was leading the race by 1,200 votes.

Thanksgiving!

The Board of Directors and staff of Farmers’ Rice Cooperative wish members and their families a happy and safe Thanksgiving. For those traveling this holiday season, we wish you safe travel to be with your family and friends