100 hour agenda

The new Congress will begin business this week, and there is a 100 hour agenda by the Democrats that is addressed in this story. One thing the Democrats apparently won't do is deal with the Republican appropriation bills that need approval for fiscal year 2007 funding. Instead, Congress may authorize spending for agriculture and other agencies based on 2006 levels. That means a lot of hard work by industry lobbyists to expand funding for priorities like the fruit and vegetable snack program may go for naught. That puts all the more importance on gaining some traction in the 2007 farm bill.