Lauren Sturgeon Bailey
Vice president, government affairs
Lauren Sturgeon Bailey currently serves as CoBank’s vice president of the Government Affairs division. In this role, she is responsible for maintaining CoBank’s legislative and regulatory relationships in Washington, D.C.
Previously, Lauren worked for the former chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Frank D. Lucas of Oklahoma, as well as former chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Sen. Jim M. Inhofe, also of Oklahoma. Prior to that, Lauren worked for former Lt. Governor Jari Askins and at the Oklahoma Water Resources Board as the agency state and federal legislative liaison.
Reports
Washington sits in stalemate while farm policy sees promise
The partial government shutdown continues. A Senate DHS funding deal exists, but the House hasn’t considered it. While defense spending rises, DHS agencies remain unfunded, disrupting core services (including airport screening). In some good news, the EPA issued E15 summertime waivers starting May 1 and eliminated the diesel exhaust fluid sensor requirement. In Congress, the 2026 Farm Bill could move to the House floor by the end of April and a new farm aid package is gaining momentum.
The Quarterly: AI won’t eliminate need for college grads
Despite rising fears, artificial intelligence is unlikely to spark a jobs apocalypse for recent college graduates.
The Quarterly: Where have the workers gone?
Lower fertility rates, declining labor force participation, and lower net immigration are combining to squeeze labor supply. With the labor supply in rural America set to get tighter, technology – most obviously AI and robotics – will likely be at the core of any strategy to address the oncoming labor squeeze.
The Quarterly: Historic shift in trade policy risks long-term loss of trust
CoBank’s Q1 2025 Quarterly report examines the economic forces shaping rural America, highlighting key shifts across agriculture, energy, communications, and financial markets as the year begins.
The Year Ahead: Forces that will shape the US rural economy in 2025
While the U.S. economy continues to outperform earlier expectations — delivering solid growth, low unemployment and moderating inflation — the rural economic outlook is less certain
The Quarterly: Rising electricity demand, supply constraints put AI boom at risk, raise worries over residential rates
CoBank’s Q3 2024 Quarterly report analyzes key economic trends shaping rural industries, highlighting shifts in energy, agriculture, communications, and financial markets heading into 2025.