From Washington with Karina Jones is brought to you by BillionAuto.com one of the nation’s largest automotive websites!
Karina Jones is a real-life ranch wife in the Nebraska Sandhills, Field Director for R-CalfUSA and one of the most highly sought-after speakers in the cattle industry nationwide!
And now the NEW VOICE of Farm & Ranch Country, Karina Jones –
Good day everyone in farm and ranch country!
Here is what we know. The House of Representatives is in the midst of intraparty turmoil in the GOP. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., became the first House Speaker in history to lose his position as a motion to vacate passed on a 210-216 vote with eight Republicans and every Democrat voting to remove McCarthy.
The plan for replacing the House speaker seems to be pretty unclear as there is still a lot of smoke in the room. This makes work on critical legislation that affects rural America in jeopardy. The path forward for work on bills such as the farm bill is unclear.
Compounding this chaos is the global turmoil happening. Whether we like it or not, when a war breaks out on the other side of the world, our government turns their attention to it and takes it attention off of critical domestic matters.
Another piece of legislation hanging in limbo is the omnibus government funding bill and it is not going unnoticed.
DTN reported, “Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack criticized efforts in Congress to cut USDA’s budget, adding he expects lawmakers will be forced to pass an extension of the current farm bill or face potential “havoc” for farmers.”
A lot of USDA programs are on the chopping block because of the stalled fiscal year 2024 USDA appropriations bill. It failed to pass the House in late September just before Congressman Kevin McCarthy was ousted as speaker of the House.
“The budget cuts are real,” Vilsack told residents at a recent Iowa community center, which was built using USDA funds.
He questioned how long it would take a new House Speaker to be selected, then get their feet on the ground and provide some direction for the chamber. The new House Speaker will have to figure out how to pass the USDA/FDA funding bill that has failed multiple floor votes already in the past month, largely because of the steep cuts in the bill.
“It too deeply cuts the Department of Agriculture, and it’s just not workable,” Vilsack said. “How do you then negotiate between the Senate and House?”
USDA now is operating under the short-term funding extension Congress passed to keep the government operating through Nov. 17. Asked what the bigger concern is for him right now — the budget or the farm bill — Vilsack pointed to both the latest funding deadline for the government and the need for Congress to now consider an extension on farm bill programs. If Congress doesn’t address the farm bill by Dec. 31, there is the potential for complications.”
Karina ranches with her husband, Marty, and 4 children near Broken Bow, NE. She grew up in western NE, with roots also in southwest SD. The cattle industry and raising kids is her passion.
Tune in Fridays on The Hot Barn Report, where she deep dives into cattle industry issues and highlights industry reforms or listen to Ranch Raised with Karina Jones a slice of daily life on the Jones Ranch.
