(NAFB) In early March, the House Ag Committee passed its Farm Bill, which now awaits a vote on the House floor. House Ag Committee Chair GT Thompson said he’s hoping for a vote yet this month.
You know, we had great success when it came out of committee. I mean, it was a 34 to 17 vote. So, we had seven Democrats who supported the bill. It was budget-neutral, responsible spending, and bipartisan by design. When you look at everything that went into all the listening sessions all across the country, 43 states and one territory, you know, it really is practical policy. It’s not political games, and so, quite frankly, I think with what our farmers need right now, it’ll give them certainty. And so, I think there’s an urgency in Congress to get this done.”
It’s past time for the farm bill to cross the finish line as farmers and the agricultural sector face significant challenges.
“What we did in One Big, Beautiful Bill, the agriculture title, or farm bill title, which was Title Two of that, was about 20 percent of the Farm Bill, but an area that needed significant investments, $55-$56 billion on top of what we’ve done in the past, and we accomplished that. With the remaining eighty percent, that’s a new farm bill that’s long overdue, and farm country needs updated policies now, and that’s what we’ll achieve with the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.”
Thompson talked about the Senate’s farm bill development process.
“Chairman Bozeman is such a good friend and a great leader, and I’m really proud of his leadership with the Senate Agriculture Committee. Well, I know that getting the farm bill out of the House and sending it over to the Senate is critical. We want to help Chairman Bozeman build up some momentum in the Senate, and this has to be a team effort between both chambers for it to be successful. And I think he’s waiting with anticipation for what we will pass and send his direction.”
