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Michigan Democrat says Congress has an obligation to keep moving the farm bill forward

A Democratic member of the U.S. House Ag Committee says she voted to approve the farm bill because farmers need policy that reflects the realities of operating in 2026.

Michigan’s Kristen McDonald Rivet says, “Our family farmers have been stretched to the absolute breaking point, often getting silence from Washington.”

“The rules are outdated, the regulations are outdated,” she highlights.

McDonald Rivet says the bill included several of her personal priorities, including protecting American farmland from foreign adversaries, ensuring Head Start can continue serving rural families, and strengthening and expanding access to crop insurance.

But she says the legislation is not perfect, and several of her amendments to reverse cuts to nutrition assistance were not included.

“I’m very disappointed that we couldn’t get them included in the bill,” she shares. “Making sure no child has to go to bed hungry will be one of my top priorities always, and I will continue to fight for it.”

During a press conference on a Bay County farm this week, McDonald Rivet said bipartisan support for the farm bill sends a strong message to the Speaker of the House and Senate to pass it yet this year.