The fate of the country-of-origin labeling law for meat is hanging on a massive spending bill that could be released on Monday, and the food industry has been clinging to hopes that a measure preempting state GMO labeling laws also could be included.

 

Also up in the air heading into the final negotiations was the Obama administration's new “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule that re-defines the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act.

 

The government is operating under a stopgap bill that gives lawmakers until Wednesday to pass a   fiscal 2016 omnibus spending measure.

 

Congressional leaders also went into the weekend negotiating on a sweeping tax package that could make permanent the expanded Section 179 expensing allowance that is widely used in agriculture. Should talks on the tax package fail, the Section 179 provision and dozens of other expired tax benefits are likely to be extended only through next year.

 

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