Neither party has an overwhelming majority in Congress. Minnesota Representative Michelle Fischbach sees a silver lining to the situation. “I see it as an opportunity because I think then you’re going to get bills that reflect what everybody needs and what the country needs. We can’t just put something out and say take it or leave it; we’re going to have to be talking about it and make sure it fits what people need.” Speaker Kevin McCarthy has agreed to an open rule, leaving the possibility for hundreds of amendments to a bill. That could be a negative situation with a complex farm bill. Fischbach is a member of the House Rules Committee and believes this can be addressed. “Each bill gets a different rule. I think the farm bill is probably a little bit more delicate so you’ll probably see either a structured rule or potentially a closed rule where there won’t be amendments on the floor but amendments in the other committees.” Fischbach is also a member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction on everything from taxes to trade.
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