(WASHINGTON D.C.) — On Wednesday evening, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 222-209 to pass a continuing resolution that funds the government until January 30th. That legislation, which came over from the Senate earlier in the week after 41 days of a government shutdown, included funding for the Department of Agriculture for Fiscal Year 2026.
With the government set to start reopening on Thursday, numerous agriculture groups applauded the news of passage of a continuing resolution while also calling on Congress to tackle other agriculture priorities like a Farm Bill and year-round E-15.
“The actions from Congress come as a relief to the nation’s corn growers who use federal programs for farm loans, grants and technical assistance,” said Ohio farmer and National Corn Growers Association President Jed Bower. “Corn growers also see today’s development as an inflection point. We are approaching year’s end, and, despite opportunities to do so, Congress has not voted on legislation that would allow consumers across the country to access E15 year-round. Passage of this legislation would bolster the nation’s energy security, save drivers money at the pump and help corn growers considerably by increasing demand. We strongly urge Congress to pass this legislation right away and will continue our meetings with members of Congress to call for action.”
National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) CEO Sam Kieffer echoed the sentiment on getting a Farm Bill completed.
“NAWG welcomes Congress’s decision to reopen the federal government. This action provides critical funding to restart full USDA operations and the essential services that America’s farmers depend on to grow safe and nutritious food. Today’s vote by Congress also continues support for vital wheat research to benefit growers and consumers in the United States,” according to Kieffer. “While this is a positive step, America’s wheat growers call on Congress to turn toward a long-term, bipartisan Farm Bill that provides clarity and certainty in turbulent times with low commodity prices and high input costs. In addition, Congress must prioritize fully reauthorizing the U.S. Grain Standards Act to facilitate market stability and confidence in U.S. wheat exports.”
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew said in a statement that he was “relieved to see Congress reach an agreement to reopen the federal government along with another extension of the farm bill. But this is the bare minimum.”
Larew added that “we’ve already lost too much time. The farm safety net is outdated and can’t keep up with today’s economic realities. Input costs remain high, trade relationships are uncertain, access to affordable healthcare is in danger, and the stress on rural communities continues to grow.”
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane said in a statement that “American cattle producers need the federal government running at full capacity to provide critical services and market data. We thank Speaker Johnson and Majority Leader Thune for passing the funding package to end the shutdown and extend the Farm Bill. While we’re grateful to the Trump administration for easing the burden of the shutdown on producers, it still caused widespread disruptions, and we are glad it is now resolved.”
House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) released a statement after the CR passage on Wednesday evening saying that “reopening the federal government comes as a relief to the American people, but there’s no question this shutdown inflicted unnecessary pain on farm families, rural communities, and those who depend on critical USDA services. From delayed farm loans to nutrition assistance uncertainty, the full scope of the disruption will take time to assess. However, it is clear that this damage was entirely avoidable.”
Chairman Thompson added that “now that government operations are being restored, we can turn our focus back to delivering real solutions. Extending the current farm bill gives us the time needed to finalize Farm Bill 2.0, a bipartisan package that builds on the success of the One Big Beautiful Bill.”
