Agriculture Secretary Vilsack to Address Farm Bill and Climate Spending Amid Congressional Struggles and Shutdown Concerns.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is returning to Capitol Hill this week to discuss the issues of the farm bill and climate-related spending at the Department of Agriculture. This will be his second congressional hearing in two weeks, as Congress continues to struggle with farm legislation and annual appropriations. Vilsak is expected to be asked about the USDA’s climate-smart conservation priorities and defend the Democratic-written Inflation Reduction Act’s billions of dollars in related spending. Depending on congressional progress on spending bills for the current fiscal year, Vilsacks may also address the department’s preparations for a partial government shutdown March 1, potentially resulting in employee furloughs.