Republican leadership selected Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) last week to take over the House Appropriations Committee gavel from Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), who is due to step down in January due to chairmanship term limits.
As chairman, Frelinghuysen—seen as a centrist Republican—will be in a prime position to shape federal agriculture policy, deciding what goes in and out of legislation funding the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration. And with a Republican Congress and White House next year, appropriations bills have a decent chance of making it to the president's desk. An examination of Frelinghuysen's voting record on the committee and elsewhere shows that, on agriculture issues, he generally follows the rest of his party. For the next agriculture appropriations bill, this could translate to more policy riders rolling back food and farming regulations championed by the Obama administration.
Congress is likely to adopt a continuing resolution to fund the government into next year that is clear of most policy provisions. That means many riders shepherded through the appropriations process by Republicans this year could work their way into the next funding bill as well, this time with Frelinghuysen calling the shots on the committee.`
on Fri, 12/09/2016 - 20:50 admin
