The Hardwood Federation produces a “D.C. Cheat Sheet” newsletter to keep the industry up-to-date on the latest news from Washington D.C. Check out the November 10th edition below and sign up to receive your copy.
Hardwood Champions Poised for Leadership Roles
Many key hardwood industry partners will be returning to Washington to kick off the 118th Congress. These wins translate into delivery of congressional heavy hitters who will carry an outsized voice on key issues in 2023.
Senate side champions include Agriculture Committee leaders Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and John Boozman (R-AR), either of whom will assume the chair depending on final vote tallies. The party leaders on the Natural Resources Committee offer another win-win scenario, with either Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) or Sen. John Barrasso (R-WV) poised to take the helm next year.
On the House side, hardwood champions will be in leadership roles on key committees regardless of the final vote tally:
- Longtime ally Rep. GT Thompson (R-PA) will serve as chair or ranking member of the Agriculture Committee. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) is also a good friend and has chaired the Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee.
- Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) will play a leadership role on the Ways and Means Committee. Influential members Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) are also well known to the Federation.
- Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) will have the one or two spot on the Natural Resources Committee. Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) also sits on Natural Resources and he and the Hardwood Federation have developed a good relationship over the years.
With Final Tallies Still Up in the Air, HFPAC Delivers 84 Percent Success and Counting
Of the 11 Hardwood Federation PAC-supported senate candidates who were up this year, 10 have won or are expected to win their election bid, with only Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s (R-AK) race remains undecided. On the House side, so far 49 out of 59 PAC picks will be returning to Congress to continue to fight for the industry’s agenda.
New Congress Still Taking Shape on Thursday
While control over the Senate remains uncertain, with races in Arizona and Nevada still outstanding and Georgia heading to a run-off in early December, the eventual majority will run the agenda with a razor thin majority. Although the GOP is inching closer to the magic number of 218 to flip the House, the outcome is still far from certain. What is clear is that Republicans failed to ride a “red wave” to deliver an overwhelming majority.
With many races still hanging in the balance, the Hardwood Federation will keep you posted on major outcomes impacting the industry as ballot counts continue.
Source: Hardwood Federation