Late last night, President Barack Obama signed a bill passed by both the House and Senate to reopen the government until Jan. 15, and raise the debt ceiling until Feb. 7. The bills, each of which passed its respective chamber with Democrat and Republican votes, ensure that federal services, including those provided by USDA, will come on line as early as today. The news coincides with a flurry of activity on farm issues on Capitol Hill.

USDA - With specific regard to USDA services, it is still unclear how and in in what order the agency will reopen its regional and local offices, and at what speed services provided through operating units like the Farm Service Agency will return to normal working operation. USDA did announce this morning that selected reports published through the National Agricultural Statistics Service and the World Agricultural Outlook Board would be postponed, including the Crop Production and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE). The next scheduled release of these reports will occur Nov. 8. Once ASA has additional information on when you can expect normal services to return in your area, we’ll let you know.

Farm Bill - Also last night, leadership from the House and Senate Agriculture Committee announced that the conference on the farm bill would commence officially on Monday, Oct. 28, when both chambers are back in Washington. ASA has repeatedly reiterated our farm bill priorities to both the House and the Senate Agriculture Committees, as well as to the members of the farm bill conference from each chamber, and will do so again over the coming weeks to ensure that the final product that emerges from the conference will serve soybean farmers well.

Waterways Infrastructure - In an unexpected development, the measure passed by the House and Senate to reopen and fund the federal government also included an increase in funding for a project that impacts soybean farmers. The funding authorization for the Olmstead Locks and Dams project in Kentucky and Illinois was raised from $775 million to $2.9 billion, a move welcomed by both ASA and our industry colleagues at the Waterways Council. Reports also indicate that with an open government and the debt ceiling crisis averted, the ASA-supported Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA), will hit the House floor for debate as early as next week.