House Democrats look to clear the $1.9 trillion stimulus package for President Joe Biden’s signature this week, while the Senate turns to moving more of his Cabinet nominees, including his pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency, Michael Regan.
 
Also this week, the Senate Agriculture Committee takes its first step toward crafting a potentially transformative climate policy that could transform farm programs by holding a hearing on Thursday to field recommendations from producers.
 
The Senate passed Biden's massive American Rescue Plan on party lines 50-49 on Saturday. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., then teed up action on three of Biden’s nominees, including Regan as well as Merrick Garland, a former Supreme Court nominee picked to be attorney general; and House Agriculture Committee member Marcia Fudge, an Ohio Democrat who expressed interest in becoming agriculture secretary but was instead named to be secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
 
 
The Senate will act first on Fudge and Garland before moving to Regan, a North Carolina state regulator who has broad support from farm groups. During his nomination hearing last month, he promised to work with farm groups as he makes decisions on the Renewable Fuel Standard, Clean Water and other regulatory issues.
 
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