Republican control of Congress and the White House could help passage of a new farm bill, an industry lobbyist says.

A new year on Capitol Hill brings a new administration and a new Congress that will guide, mold and tweak policy that affects dairy producers.

Republicans have a trifecta in the new year, controlling the U.S. House and Senate and holding the White House, said Paul Bleiberg, National Milk Producers Federation’s executive vice president for government relations.

The significance of that is Republicans have the ability to enact more of their agenda without the minority party being involved, he said in the latest “Dairy Defined” podcast.

“They can’t do all of it, but they can certainly get personnel through the U.S. Senate on a simple majority vote to fill the different Cabinet and sub-Cabinet positions in the incoming Trump administration,” he said.

Budget reconciliation

There’s also the budget reconciliation tool, which essentially lets Congress pass tax and mandatory spending legislation without needing to worry about the 60-vote filibuster rule in the Senate, he said.

That means if Republicans have a simple majority in the House and Senate, they can get legislation through, he said.

“So whether it’s tax or spending or both, there’s a lot they can do there on their own without involving the other party,” he said.

Setting the agenda, controlling the different committees and moving legislation through broad decisions about governing really do fall to the party that has a trifecta, he said.

Farm bill

In terms of the farm bill, which has been extended into the new Congress, Republicans are controlling both chambers and the White House. They are in a strong position but need Democratic votes to pass a bill, certainly in the senate and usually in the house as well, he said.

“But having Republicans in the (Agriculture) committee chairs and in the USDA really gives them the ability to be in the driver’s seat, setting the broad tone as far as priorities,” he said.

But it also gives them the responsibility to get the votes to get a farm bill out of Congress and onto the president’s desk.

Needed votes

“They’ve got to figure out what they can do working with Democrats to get the needed votes from Democrats as well. So there’s power, but there’s also the obligation of governance that comes with it, and this … comes with every trifecta,” he said

Regional politics also play a part in the farm bill, and broad support will be needed to get a farm bill across the finish line, he said.

The priorities of Agriculture Committee ranking members — Amy Klobuchar in the Senate and Angie Craig in the House — are both going to be important, and there may be some overlap with them both being from Minnesota.

“The last farm bill in 2018 was done under a Republican trifecta, but it was still in agreement amongst all four corners of Capitol Hill, Republicans and Democrats on both sides of the Capitol,” he said.