Policy

Policy Brief Summary   After a week off for the annual Intertribal Agriculture Council’s gathering, the policy brief is back. We will take a two-week break over the Christmas and New Year holidays but will be back on the week of January 8. If news or information...

Policy Brief Summary   Last week, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing on nominations for the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development and the Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.  There are three hearings related to...

Policy Brief Summary   We have added a new section to the Policy Brief featuring nominations to advisory boards, committees, and awards. There were no Congressional hearings last week of note given the holiday, but there is a Senate Agriculture Hearing on...

Policy Brief Summary   Congress is not in session this week, but last week Congress extended the 2018 Farm Bill until September 30, 2024, and avoided a government shutdown by extending appropriations into early 2024.  The House Committee on Natural Resources and...

Policy Brief Summary Last week, two Congressional hearings related to environmental issues included access to clean water and salmon declines.  Several Congressional hearings this week will discuss legislation related to Tribal food and agriculture, including one at...

Policy Brief Summary Last week, the House Natural Resources Committee discussed members’ legislation covering climate change impacts on Tribal communities and potential Farm Bill priorities in Tribal aquaculture. This week, the Senate Indian Affairs Committee holds a...

Policy Brief Summary The House elected Congressman Mike Johnson (LA) to Speaker of the House on October 25, 2023. There are discussions on the House side of getting their version of the Farm Bill complete by December, but the Senate has eyes on a one-year extension.  ...

Policy Brief Summary The House remains without a speaker.    Notes from a Senate Banking Committee Congressional Hearing feature testimony from two...

Policy Brief Summary: The House of Representatives remains without a speaker, but Senate Banking holds a subcommittee hearing on CDFIs, specifically hosting a representative from Native CDFI Oweesta as a witness to these organizations’ roles in community development...

Policy Brief Summary: October 13 is the final day for Tribes and ITOs to submit comment to USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s proposed parity rules impacting FDPIR and CSFP. Check out the IFAI resources and draft letter for those ITOs and Tribes interested here. The...