American farmers are hoping that aid to agriculture will be revived as Congress struggles to pass a short-term spending bill that would keep the federal government funded and avert a looming partial government shutdown set to begin after midnight Friday night.
A one-year extension of federal farm programs, around $30 billion in economic relief and an agreement that would increase sales of a higher blend of ethanol, called E15, were part of a bipartisan deal that collapsed Wednesday after President-elect Donald Trump and his allies denounced the overall package. It was unclear Thursday whether a new deal could come together in time to prevent a shutdown — and whether any of those farm provisions would survive whole or in part, either as part of an extension or in separate legislation.
