Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 5/7/19

The House this week is scheduled to take up its latest disaster relief proposal, a $17 billion aid package that includes new funds to address Midwest flooding. The measure will go before the House Rules Committee at 5 p.m. today.

A handful of amendments filed to the panel deal with agriculture and rural issues. Here's a quick rundown:

— Smoked nuts: Rep. Josh Harder (D-Calif.) filed an amendment to make growers of almonds, walnuts and pistachios eligible for aid if their crops were tainted by wildfire smoke, even if the damage was discovered after the nuts were removed from the tree.

— Fish farms: Southeastern lawmakers proposed including timber and "aquacultured plants and animals" in a USDA program to reimburse farmers for crop losses. A separate amendment would allow tree farmers to more easily access a tax deduction for timber losses.

— Backing up blueberries: Florida members filed a proposal to specify that blueberry growers could receive assistance for 2018 crop losses stemming from 2017 hurricanes. The bill would already extend protections for farmers who lost blueberries or peaches to extreme cold in 2017.

— Tax breaks: A Republican amendment would allow disaster-affected taxpayers to tap retirement accounts early without penalty, suspend certain limits on charitable contributions and provide a tax credit for employers who keep paying their employees while their business was closed due to a disaster.

In the Senate: Negotiators continue to hash out final sticking points — namely how much aid to provide Puerto Rico — after the chamber shot down competing versions of a disaster aid bill more than a month ago. Top senators last week said they were nearing a deal.

Trump has continued to argue the island territory doesn't need more assistance, tweeting Monday that Democrats "don't want farmers to get any help" and should stop holding out for additional funds for Puerto Rico.