Another delay for the farm bill, as the House must now spend time electing another Speaker after the ousting of Representative Kevin McCarthy of California. During an address on student loan forgiveness, President Biden broached the subject of the former speaker and urged lawmakers to move forward quickly.
“The House will now reorganize and select a new speaker. I know it’s going to take some time, but I remind everyone we have a lot of work to do and the American people expect us to get it done,” he said. “We reached an agreement over the weekend that funds the government only another 40 days. We cannot and should not again be faced with an 11th-hour decision or brinksmanship that threatens to shut down the government. And we know what we have to do and we have to get it done in a timely fashion.”
He also urged lawmakers to work together.
“We need to change the poisonous atmosphere in Washington. You know, we have strong disagreements, but we need to stop seeing each other as enemies. We need to talk to one another, listen to one another, work with one another. And we can do that. I joined with minority leader … Jeffries in saying that our Republican colleagues remain committed to working in a bipartisan fashion. We were prepared to do it as well, for the good of the American people,” he said. “Twice in the last six months, both houses came together on a bipartisan basis. Once to avoid default, once to keep the government open. And while we should never have been in a situation in the first place, I’m grateful that leaders on both sides came together, including former Speaker McCarthy, to do the right thing.” Republican Representative Patrick McHenry was appointed acting speaker for up to three legislative days. Lawmakers have a Nov. 17 deadline to come up with a budget or once again face a partial government shutdown. And now, Republican lawmakers say they need at least a week to choose a new speaker. All of this pushes votes on other bills, such as the farm bill, back even further.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet News Hour and The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.