OUR PERSPECTIVES

Yesterday, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted unanimously to advance a bill that would make it easier for states to conduct prescribed fire. It’s a pragmatic and finely scoped bill. While traditional DC advice is that opening up the Clean Air Act is untouchable, this bill proved otherwise. Even in an era of heightened politics, all committee members saw value in the bill moving forward. The bill – the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act (WEPA) – would clear

Check out the newest #RuralReport for details on this week's farm bill markup 2.0 and USDA's proposal to shift agricultural research dollars from formula programs to competitive. Click here to download the full PDF version of the Rural Report.

Check out this week's #AppropriationsUpdate for details on oversight hearings in the House this week and the Senate's hurdles to unveiling FY27 funding bills. Click here or the image below to download a PDF of the full document.

This week, the nation commemorates 25 years since 9/11, Republicans convene in Dallas to preview their midterm agenda, and Congress returns with WRDA and Russia sanctions among its priorities. Check it out in today's BG3! Click the image below to download a full PDF version of the document.

This week, the House passes a continuing resolution, lawmakers head home early for the campaign trail, and August job growth reaches 162,000. Check it out in today's BG3! Click the image below to download a full PDF version of the document.

Check out August's #CongressionalUpdate – a real-time snapshot of legislative activity, tracking the number of bills introduced, passed, failed, vetoed, and signed. Click here or the image below to download a PDF of the full document.

This week, the U.S. and Venezuela announced an oil deal, President Trump moved to rename Lake Ontario, and Congress returned focused on advancing a continuing resolution before the funding deadline. Check it out in today's BG3! Click the image below to download a full PDF version of the document.

Trade policy has been elevated under the Trump Administration as the President has used tariffs as a key part of his economic policy. The big questions here are (1) how much elasticity trading partners have to handle current tariffs and (2) whether the White House will bring together a solution that will help bring the current U.S. - Mexico trade war to an end (bringing a close to a breakdown in negotiations around cross-border tariffs. Canada is the second largest trading

When Congress returns in September, they will have a full plate of issues that must be worked on before the end of the fiscal year on September 30. As is tradition during an election year, Congress will likely vote on what needs to get done immediately (the CR and a few other bills) and head home for all of October to campaign. That means that, besides the CR, there is unlikely to be much movement on must-pass bills until the lame duck. Last year, the omnibus package extended

Check out this week's #AppropriationsUpdate for details on the possibility of pocket rescissions and potentially contentious elections for top appropriators in the House and Senate. Click here or the image below to download a PDF of the full document.

This week, tariffs on beef are lifted, crypto legislation advances toward a Senate vote, and Congress prepares to finalize a continuing resolution ahead of the September funding deadline. Check it out in today's BG3! Click the image below to download a full PDF version of the document.

Earlier this year, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a proposed rule that would change how the federal government distributes and administers every federal grant, cooperative agreement, and pass-through award. The “Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance” proposed rule is the largest overhaul since the guidance was first published in 2013. With over 496,000 comments – nearly 99% opposed to the proposed rule – stakeholders are watching to see how Congress

We are officially at the point where candidates have finalized their carefully scripted campaign-trail speeches and are actively talking to voters about key issues. While those issues change every year, here is a short list of issues that seem to be elevated this year on the campaign trail: Affordability: No surprise here, but affordability is a topic many candidates will be hearing about. From groceries to gas prices, polling shows voters are concerned and want to see more

Check out the newest #RuralReport for updates on the Administration's actions to rescind the Forest Service's 2001 Roadless Rule and concerns with conservation funding and staffing at USDA. Click here to download the full PDF version of the Rural Report.

Check out this week's #AppropriationsUpdate for details on the House's reception of the Senate's continuing resolution and the outlook for reconciliation 3.0. Click here or the image below to download a PDF of the full document.

In this week's Sustainability Report, we discuss a recent court decision on EPA's climate loans, the latest in DC, including permitting reform, and several available funding streams. Click here or the image below to download a full PDF version of the latest Sustainability Report.

During the last week of August, Brumidi Group will kick off our weekly 2026 election coverage, providing the latest polling and analysis through the election in early November. In the meantime, here are three types of polls to monitor that can help give some early indications of where the election stands (though it’s important to remember, it’s still early). Generic Congressional Poll: This poll provides a good understanding of where the general mood is on congressional e

This week, the Senate Farm Bill stalls in committee, lawmakers race to finalize a continuing resolution before recess, and late primaries reshape the 2026 election landscape. Check it out in today's BG3! Click the image below to download a full PDF version of the document.

The Farm Bill and the surface transportation bill will hit the same wall on September 30, 2026, when current authorizations for entire departments expire. Neither is likely to be replaced by a comprehensive reauthorization before that date. And no one is surprised. We’re entering the fourth year of the Farm Bill extension, a massive bill that authorizes the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the surface transportation reauthorization, a bill to authorize the U.S. Department