Blue Diamond Almond Facts July-August 2021

ADVOCACY REPORT

Current Washington Situation

July 9, 2021

The Administration and Congress have been focused on obtaining infrastructure legislation. A possible path forward is slowing emerging. A group of Senators has developed a bipartisan infrastructure bill that may pass the Senate. The future for the bill in the House is less clear, but it may pass there. There is a bipartisan group of House Members also working on an infrastructure bill that will be like the Senate bipartisan bill. Currently, the Democrat leadership in the Senate is insisting on a second infrastructure bill that will have to be passed through the Budget Reconciliation process in both the House and Senate, which likely means it will be passed by party line votes in both chambers. Some Democrats are stating that this second bill must be agreed to before the bipartisan bill can be approved.

Washington has been adjusting to the new situation with President Biden in the White House and the Democrats controlling both the Senate and House. This adjustment has not been easy or comfortable. The President has his Cabinet officers confirmed and in place, but many of the Deputy positions have not been filled or named; several nominations have yet to be made. The Senate confirmation process will extend these vacancies into the fall. Two key spots important to the almond industry because of the importance of agricultural trade are the Agricultural Ambassador at USTR and the Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at USDA. No candidate has been named for either position as of this date.

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