‘Chaos' in federal government could stall farm bill, Klobuchar says
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said Thursday that lawmakers will face 'headwinds' negotiating a new farm bill due to the Trump administration's overhaul of the Agriculture Department and other policy fights.
Still, she remained optimistic it could be done this year.
'Hopefully we'll have some good news on a farm bill, but with all of the chaos — chaos up, corruption up, costs up — I think it does create headwinds that make it very hard to work on a farm bill,' said Klobuchar, the ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, at POLITICO Playbook's First 100 Days breakfast series.
She added that if Democratic priorities like funding for nutrition and conservation programs aren't included, Republicans won't be able to get enough votes to pass the bill — the same disagreements that doomed negotiations last year.
Lawmakers are under intense pressure from constituents and agriculture groups to hammer out a new farm bill deal before the midterm elections. The massive $1.5 trillion legislative package, which is supposed to be revamped every five years, has not been updated since 2018.
A GOP-led bill passed out of the House Agriculture Committee in May 2024 but never received a floor vote. Now, Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress; that could boost their ability to drive a new farm bill through, though it'll need some Democratic support to get across the finish line.
Lawmakers are hoping that Klobuchar and Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) will be able to bridge that divide to find a new deal.
'I hope that they're able to work together,' Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) also said at Thursday's breakfast event.
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38 minutes ago
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ICE agents chase farmworkers during latest raid in California: video
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents chased after migrants working at California farms in the latest set of raids that triggered days of protests. Footage uploaded to Instagram from a produce farm in the city of Oxnard, about 70 miles northwest from the riots in Los Angeles, shows the moment ICE agents target a man working in the misty fields Tuesday morning. The farmworker attempts to flee from the two officers, who easily chase him down and handcuff him on the ground. 4 ICE agents chased after a farmworker in Oxnard, California, on Tuesday. ABC7 4 The arrest was one of dozens taking place on Ventura County farms. ABC7 The arrest was just one of several that took place Tuesday in Ventura County with the help of the FBI, leading to protests and anxiety in Southern California. Daniel Larios — of the United Farm Workers Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for all farm workers in the US — said the wave of arrests is not targeting violent criminals, but workers who maintain the Golden State's agriculture. 'They're just taking innocent people who are trying to build their own American Dream,' Larios told ABC 7. 'This is not law enforcement. It's a campaign of fear against people whose only 'crime' is living and working in the US.' 4 The FBI's Los Angeles office said it assisted with the arrests in Ventura County on Tuesday. FBI Los Angeles/Instagram Oxnard Mayor Luis McArthur condemned the raids as 'unjustified and harmful,' claiming the arrests have done nothing to improve public safety, only 'create chaos.' It remains unclear how many people were detained during the joint operation with ICE and the FBI's Los Angeles office, but the Farm Bureau of Ventura County — which represents local farmers, ranchers and agricultural businesses — said dozens of immigrant workers were arrested. The farmworkers' arrests triggered protests outside Oxnard City Hall, with hundreds calling for the migrants to be released and for ICE agents to exit the county. 4 Oxnard residents protested ICE's arrests and presence in Ventura County. NBC4 Oxnard Police Department Chief Jason Benites has said his department does not take part in, or assist, ICE's activity. Southern California has become the hotbed for the Trump administration's immigration raids, which kicked off five days of violent protests across Los Angeles that have pitted Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom against President Trump. The escalated violence led LA Mayor Karen Bass to implement a curfew on Tuesday night after days of riots, looting and clashes between protesters and police, which has resulted in more than 150 arrests.
