Rep. Johnson Elected as New Speaker after Weeks Long Process

Speaker Election Debacle, Gov’t Shutdown Could Delay Farm Bill Passage

After 22 days without a Speaker of the House, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) – pictured above – won the election last month by a vote of 220-209. Rep. Johnson began his Speakership by saying his “first priority” is avoiding a government shutdown. In doing so, the House Leadership canceled the Chamber’s originally scheduled two-week recess.

Speaker Johnson said he wants to restore people’s faith in the House.

“There’s a lot going on in our country, domestically and abroad and we are ready to get to work again to solve those problems,” he said.

The new Speaker is a relative unknown to many in the Western U.S., but he is member of the Congressional Western Caucus, whose chairman Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WASHINGTON) issued a public statement congratulating the new Speaker on the election.

With no Speaker of the House for over three weeks, the House of Representatives could not pass any legislation. The November 17 deadline established in the 45-day Continuing Resolution (CR) Congress passed is now less than three weeks away, making time limited for Congress to resolve differences and pass long-term government spending.

The Farm Bill, Federal Aviation Administration, and National Flood Insurance Program reauthorizations are all legislative items that Congress must act on. House Speaker Johnson is laying out an ambitious floor schedule that calls for the chamber to vote on a new farm bill in December. However, key Senate Agriculture Committee Republicans are suggesting that work on the next farm bill reauthorization be put on hold this year and instead focus on a one-year extension.

CLICK HERE to download the PDF Version of the November 2023 edition of the “Monthly Briefing”, where you can read more about these matters, and these other important issues to Western water users, from a perspective that you won’t find anywhere else:

• Simpson Introduces New Urban Canal Bill
• “Save the Date!” – 2024 Family Farm Alliance Annual Meeting and Conference                 
• Amendment to Boost Watershed Improvement, Irrigation Modernization Passes Key Senate Vote
• DOI Announces Next Steps for Near-Term and Post-’26 Colorado River Operations
• Fish and Wildlife Service Announces $36 billion for Fish Passage Projects
• Amicus Briefs Submitted in Yurok Tribe v Klamath Water Users Association
• It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like El Nino
• ESA Bills Considered at House Legislative Hearing
• House Dems Push Legislation to Restore Post-Sackett CWA Protections
• Senate Committees Change Following Loss of Senator Feinstein
• Senator Alex Padilla’s Statement to Family Farm Alliance on his New Role on Senate ENR Committee
• Interior Signs ROD on Expansion of California Reservoir
• Out and About in the Great American West……Snapshots of October Road Trips
• A Big “Thank You” to our New and Supporting Members!

Please do not hesitate to contact dan@familyfarmalliance.org if you have any difficulties downloading the November 2023 “Monthly Briefing”.