Investigate Mid-West, a non-profit with indirect connections to personnel at the University of Illinois identified expenditure of $10 million on lobbying in 2023. Livestock groups were donors including the National Pork Producers Council, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Chicken Council and the National Turkey Federation in addition to major packers including JBS, Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods and Cargill.

It is questioned what the organizations are getting for their money.  The House Agricultural Committee has produced a markup that has little chance of acceptance by the Senate.  Major issues include diversion of conservation and supplemental nutritional assistance funds to farm support payments to an extent that will be unacceptable to the Senate, Agricultural, Nutrition And Forestry Committee and the Chamber. In an election year and with the clock running down it is becoming more likely that the ‘2023’ Farm Bill will be extended beyond September and eventually be enacted by the 119^th Congress.