By Grace Boatright, National Grange Legislative Director (View From The Hill Blog 1/28/13)

•      House passed H.R. 325, the “No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013.” Under the new law, if the House or Senate fails to pass a budget, members of Congress will not be paid. H.R. 325 enjoyed a lot of bipartisan support, particularly from constituents who are growing increasingly frustrated with the endless gridlock in Washington. It will now go to the Senate for consideration and passage.



•      House Agriculture Committee Chairman, Frank Lucas, and Ranking Member, Collin Peterson, agree that action on a new five-year Farm Bill will have to wait, as least until April, as Congress tackles the new debt ceiling deadline. In addition, both the House and Senate Ag Committees will have to reevaluate their former Farm Bill proposals as the Congressional Budget Office lays out new budgets. 



•     Cargill, a Wichita-based company operating beef processing plants, closed a plant in Plainview, TX last week, mostly a result of the drought and high feed prices. John Keating, President of Cargill, noted “the U.S. cattle herd is at its lowest level since 1952.” Cargill’s remaining three processing plants in the region (Friona, TX, Dodge City, KS, and Fort Morgan, CO) will receive the cattle previously headed for Plainview.



•     According to a new World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE), China is now producing more corn than rice. This spike in corn production is mostly the result of a rise in meat consumption. Pork and beef consumption in China has increased 85 and 155 percent since 1993. China’s new demand for corn will undoubtedly provide new marketing opportunities for America’s corn producers.



•     Six of the largest school districts in the nation have formed the Urban School Food Alliance to “reformulate menu items to ensure that students continue to receive delicious and nutritious meals daily that exceed USDA guidelines.” New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami-Dade, Dallas, and Orlando comprise the new alliance. Together, the six school districts spend about $530 annually and hope to use this significant purchasing power to drive down the cost of healthy food. On March 20, all six districts in the alliance will serve a coordinated menu of roasted chicken, brown rice with seasoned black or red beans, steamed green broccoli, fresh fruit and milk to “show solidarity in providing healthy meals.



•     Senator Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) and Representative Richard Hanna (R-NY) are petitioning the USDA to classify Greek yogurt as a protein instead of a dairy product, given the yogurt’s high protein content. This comes as no surprise, as 70% of the nation’s Greek yogurt comes from New York. 



•     Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, has officially confirmed that he will remain in his position for President Obama’s second term.