Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 12/13/21

It looks increasingly likely that the Senate Finance Committee won’t hold a hearing until early 2022 on the nomination of Elaine Trevino to be chief U.S. agricultural negotiator.

As of Friday, the panel was “still processing her paperwork and materials while it does its due diligence review,” a committee spokesperson said.

For comparison: There’s still a chance the Senate could confirm Trevino sooner than it did Gregg Doud, who was chief ag negotiator during the Trump administration. Doud had to wait until March 2018 to win Senate approval, nearly five months after his nomination hearing.

A coalition of 170 farm groups urged Senate Finance Committee leaders in October to act swiftly on Trevino’s nomination so she could address growing trade challenges with China, Mexico and the EU.