News

Ag Committee advances portion of reconciliation bill

The House Ag Committee advanced its portion of the budget reconciliation bill.

Republican Derrick Van Orden from Wisconsin told the Ag Committee during Wednesday’s markup session farmers need certainty and this bill helps. “With reinvestment in our safety nets for our farmers, ag research advancements, tier one dairy cap increase, base acre adjustments, there’s just so much good in this bill that our farmers need now.”

The bill also includes changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, which Minority Leader Angie Craig argued against. “Every single one of my colleagues have worked tirelessly to try and put lipstick on this pig before we get a final vote, but unfortunately, here we are where we started with 313 billion dollars in cuts to a title of the farm bill.”

The proposed SNAP changes would limit loopholes allowing states to inflate benefits, strengthen work requirements, and limit the program to citizens and legal permanent residents. 

The bill passed on a party-line  vote of 29-25.  The House Budget Committee is scheduled to assemble the many components of the reconciliation bill into one package Friday.

Ag groups are reacting to the Ag Committee vote.

(These will be updated as we receive them.)

National Association of Wheat Growers President Pat Clements says, ““NAWG appreciates Chairman Thompson’s leadership in advancing these critical investments in the farm safety net, conservation, trade, research, and other programs. This legislation reflects many of the key priorities that America’s wheat growers have been advocating for over the past three years. It is essential that these improvements to the farm safety net remain intact as Congress continues through the reconciliation process. While the committee bill does not include all of NAWG’s Farm Bill priorities, it does work to protect and enhance the crop insurance program, provide a meaningful increase in the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program, double funding for the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) program, and invest in agricultural research. Congress must act this year to strengthen the farm programs to provide farmers with a robust safety net and long-term certainty. Farmers need these improvements this year, not next year.”

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Ethan Lane says, “Cattle farmers and ranchers across the country have continued advocating for tools that protect the cattle industry from foreign animal disease and help producers recover from the loss of their cattle, whether by predator depredation or challenging weather conditions. This legislation is a critical step forward for addressing these issues.” Lane says this bill addresses many of the issues that NCBA members have brought forward through our association’s grassroots policy process including: 

• Reimburse cattle producers for loss due to depredation by federally protected predators. 
• Expand access to the livestock forage disaster program for producers experiencing drought. 
• Continue funding the feral swine eradication program. 
• Bolster the “three-legged stool” that protects the cattle industry from foreign animal disease, including the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP), the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), and the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB). The NAVVCB currently houses emergency supplies for responding to a food-and-mouth disease outbreak. 

National Farmers Union President Rob Larew says, “We appreciate that the House Agriculture Committee recognizes the financial pressures facing family farmers and ranchers. Proposals to strengthen crop insurance, bolster the farm safety net, and maintain voluntary conservation programs are important steps toward securing the future of our food system.  But this is not the best way to produce a meaningful farm bill. Our members know that the process matters. Pitting farm and nutrition priorities against one another creates unnecessary division and weakens the broader effort. A strong farm bill—however it comes together—must reflect the full scope of challenges facing agriculture and rural communities, and it must work for everyone it touches: farmers, ranchers, and families across the country.”