| President Biden vetoes congressional resolution to overturn WOTUS rule On Thursday, President Biden vetoed the House and Senate’s Congressional Review Act joint resolution, preserving his Administration’s revised definition of the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS). The President cited the increased uncertainties H.J. Res. 27 would raise and the negative impacts it would have on preserving healthy wetlands as reasons for the veto. While there was bipartisan support for the joint resolution, the margins in both the House and the Senate were shy of a two-thirds majority to override the veto. U.S. accuses India of underreporting wheat and rice subsidies This week, the U.S. joined five other countries in filing a World Trade Organization (WTO) counter-notification against India. The US counter-notification is the first-ever counter-notification to be submitted to the WTO Agriculture Committee. It says India provided subsidies to rice producers which exceeded 78% of the value of production and to wheat producers in excess of 65%. The other countries who joined in the complaint include Australia, Canada, Paraguay, Thailand, and Ukraine. This action has led to calls for the Biden Administration to file a formal WTO case.A WTO transparency obligation requires member governments to report trade subsidies to the relevant WTO body if the subsidies might have an effect on other members. Once a member files a subsidy notification, any Member may make a counter-notification where it feels that the notification filed is either incomplete or incorrect. Senate Agriculture Committee announces upcoming farm bill hearing schedule Last week, a tentative hearing schedule for the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Nutrition was announced. These hearings will be the first of the congressional session occurring at the subcommittee level as Congress prepares for the upcoming farm bill. The tentative schedule is as follows: April 19: Subcommittee on Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics and Research – nutrition focus April 20: Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources – conservation focus April 27: Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade – crop insurance focus May 2: Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade – commodity group focus May 17: Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy – broadband focus |
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