Washington Weekly is IDFA’s update curating policy news from the nation’s capital. This week, U.S. and Canadian negotiators met to discuss the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); the farm bill conference committee convened; and President Donald Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, received a confirmation hearing.

White House Gives Canada More Time to Rework NAFTA

The Trump administration decided to extend NAFTA talks with Canada that were set to end on Friday, according to U.S Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer. President Trump also notified Congress of his intent to sign a trade agreement with Mexico, and potentially Canada, 90 days from now. The next meeting with Canada and the United States is set for this Wednesday. Read more here.

Farm Bill Conference Committee to Hammer Out Differences

The farm bill conference committee will meet in its first set of meetings Wednesday to work out differences in the House and Senate’s respective farm bills. This first meeting will be publicized with speeches, but most of the work is expected to be done behind closed doors. The committee is chaired by Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan. Read more here.

Brett Kavanaugh Will Pledge Neutrality in Senate Confirmation Hearings

President Trump’s second nominee to the Supreme Court of the United States plans to tell the Senate Judiciary Committee that he will remain “a neutral and impartial arbiter” if confirmed. Kavanaugh will also pay tribute to Justice Anthony Kennedy and is expecting questions from Democrats over the confirmation process and the 42,000 documents a Bush lawyer released hours before the hearing. Read more here.

For more information, contact Dave Carlin, IDFA senior vice president of legislative affairs and economic policy, at dcarlin@idfa.org.