(WASHINGTON D.C.) — Late Wednesday night, the House Agriculture Committee advanced the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 out of committee. All Republicans voted in favor along with seven Democrats to advance the legislation, after an all day session on Wednesday and previous debate on Tuesday.
“Today, my colleagues at the House Committee on Agriculture stepped up for farm country and passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 out of committee,” said House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) “I am proud of this bill, as well as the work that’s been done to improve it during the last two days. After a markup that lasted over 20 hours, the legislation reflects the will of the committee, and it is filled with bipartisan provisions that will move the needle for farmers, ranchers, and rural Americans across the country.”
Contention and debate centered around the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), pesticides, solar and biofuels. Many Democrats have accused GOP colleagues of mostly shutting them out of the process of drafting the legislation. According to POLITICO, Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-Minn.) said the bill was improved with some Democratic amendments but “does not meet the moment.”
Democrats who voted for the bill include Reps. Jim Costa of California, Josh Riley of New York and Sharice Davids of Kansas. They were joined by Reps. Adam Gray of California, Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico, Don Davis of North Carolina and Kristen McDonald Rivet of Michigan.
Chairman Thompson continued to reiterate his stance that this is a good bill and it is much needed in farm country right now. “Throughout this markup, it became clearer than ever before that our country needs a new farm bill, and we don’t need it next year, or next Congress,” according to Thompson. “We need it now. I look forward to working in good faith with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle as we move toward a final vote on the House floor.”
Representative Eric Sorensen (IL-17), after voting no on the latest version of the Farm Bill, said in a statement that “American farmers are hurting. Input costs are through the roof while commodity prices are in the dumpster. Bankruptcies are up 46% and we have an affordability crisis becoming worse with retaliatory tariffs. Republican cuts to food assistance have pushed seniors, families, veterans, and people with disabilities to the brink while grocery prices surge. We had an opportunity to address these problems and make farmers whole. But House Republicans refused to meet me in the middle. Instead, they passed a bill with 2018 level funding levels and told farmers to make do. Not even a shift to account for inflation! This bill does not provide stability or certainty and it’s not what farmers, ranchers, and rural communities deserve.”
Rep. Sorensen added that “Farmers want markets and better access to tools that will strengthen soils, build resilience, and improve productivity. Instead, this bill waters down funding for programs that are already stretched thin, fails to restore SNAP benefits for working families and veterans, and leaves out year-round E-15 which would lower gas prices and give farmers access to new markets. I will always do what will best support our farmers. And today, that meant voting no on this year’s Farm Bill.”
Many agriculture groups have issued statements of support after committee passage of the Farm Bill in the House. National Corn Growers Association President Jed Bower said in a statement that “we are pleased to see that the House Committee on Agriculture has advanced the 2026 Farm Bill, which builds upon the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s investments in agriculture and addresses additional programs and policies important to corn growers. Highlights for NCGA in the legislation include provisions in the credit, conservation, rural development, research and energy titles. We congratulate Chairman Thompson for his persistence in moving the Farm Bill an important step further and appreciate Ranking Member Craig for her leadership. We now urge the House and Senate to work in a bipartisan way to ensure a Farm Bill 2.0 is considered and passed in both chambers as soon as possible.”
NCGA’s Bower added that “we also recognize Rep. Budzinski for offering an amendment requiring a mandatory base acre update that would better reflect corn growers’ priorities for commodity program eligibility. We acknowledge the efforts of Rep. Sorenson, who introduced an amendment that would allow for the year-round sale of E15. While these amendments were not ultimately adopted, NCGA will continue working with Congress as the legislative process continues.”
National Council of Farmer Cooperative’s President & CEO Duane Simpson said in a statement that “completion of the House Agriculture Committee’s farm bill markup is an important step toward delivering the certainty and stability America’s farmers and their co-ops need. With producers facing a challenging farm economy and continued market volatility, a new farm bill is long overdue. We appreciate the work of Chairman Thompson and members of the committee in advancing this legislation. We urge House leadership to bring up the farm bill without delay and look forward to the Senate Agriculture Committee beginning its process in the coming weeks.”
Simpson also added that “we also would like to extend a special thanks to Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) for his leadership in including a provision that would enhance the ability of farmer cooperatives to access the Rural Energy for America Program. If enacted, it would help cooperatives pursue projects that would provide significant impacts toward lowering energy consumption and cutting costs.”
Commonly referred to as Farm Bill 2.0, the legislation boasts relief for pork producers facing an imminent patchwork of state animal housing laws spurred by California Proposition 12, a state law that puts small farmers on the chopping block, increases the risk of industry consolidation, and undermines states’ rights.
“Pork producers of all shapes and sizes need this regulatory relief and are grateful for Chairman Thompson’s steady commitment to providing relief from state laws outside our borders,” said Duane Stateler, NPPC president and pork producer from McComb, Ohio. “Now, it is up to the full House of Representatives to finish the job: pass this farm bill and give agricultural producers across the country true freedom to farm.”
According to POLITICO, in the Senate, Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) has said he’s inclined to avoid issues that jeopardize the development of a bipartisan package that can clear both chambers.
In a statement on Thursday morning, Chairman Boozman thanked the House and Chairman Thompson for advancing the Farm Bill out of committee. “I appreciate Chairman Thompson’s leadership in advancing the remaining components of the traditional farm bill,” according to Chairman Boozman. “This builds off the historic investments we made in the Working Families Tax Cuts to strengthen the farm safety net and provide producers with greater certainty while demonstrating unwavering support for strengthening rural communities and safeguarding our food supply. I look forward to continuing the process in the Senate and working with my colleagues to get these vital policies across the finish line.”
