Lawmakers take break from D.C., but key dairy issues await their return
Mykel Wedig
It’s that time of year for members of Congress to head home to their districts, take tours and talk to constituents. It gives lawmakers a chance to take the pulse of what is happening back home after being in the D.C. bubble nearly every week since January.
While lawmakers will be busy crisscrossing their districts this month — including visits to farms, hopefully — a number of dairy-related items will be waiting for their return to Washington.
First and foremost, Congress must pass an appropriations bill by Sept. 30 to fund the government for the 2022 fiscal year, which begins on Oct. 1. This is always a contentious battle over the price tag and what “policy riders,” or unrelated provisions that change policy, should be included. These funding bills are generally split into 12 smaller subcommittee bills and eventually packaged together when they go to a full House vote. While the Senate has just begun considering funding bills, the House has finished a package of seven subcommittee bills and passed two others separately, completing the majority of the appropriations bills.