After a whirlwind of politicking, the House GOP elected Mike Johnson (R-LA) to be the 56th Speaker of the House, with all Republicans unanimously backing him. Johnson was able to gain the support of the House GOP moderates, and the support of the Freedom Caucus. Johnson has been serving Louisiana’s 4th congressional district since 2017, and previously chaired the Republican Study Committee. Speaker Johnson released a letter on October 23rd outlining his plans should he be elected Speaker. The letter suggests a very ambitious timeline to complete all the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills, as well as completing House action on the next Farm Bill by the end of the year. Despite his goal of the House passing its version of the Farm Bill in December, it is highly unlikely that a bill can be finalized between the House and Senate before the new crop years begin in 2024. There is increasing discussion about a one-year extension of the current Farm Bill to ensure that programs are able to operate while Congress works to finish a new bill.
