Farm Bill tests Congress as election clock ticks down

Against the backdrop of little Congressional action and major geopolitical issues, agriculture has taken center stage in the halls of Congress and across rural America. The United States Department of Agriculture has released its reorganization plan, New World Screwworm has returned to the U.S. southwest, and a Farm Bill may be in our future. Three months ago, most of Washington didn’t appreciate the strength of the agriculture community. That changed when Midwestern members forced a fight on the House floor during consideration of the Department of Homeland Security budget, demanding action on the Farm Bill and E15 in exchange for ending the legislative logjam.

Farm Bill negotiations remain stalled

In April, the House passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 by a bipartisan vote of 224-200. In late June, the Senate released draft text of its Farm Bill legislation, hoping to force public negotiations to begin. But the Senate process is stalled until Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., and Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., reach a deal. The same issues that limited Democratic support in the House remain in the Senate. Democrats want the bill to delay the states’ cost share provision from taking effect under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which was part of the “pay fors” included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year. If negotiators can reach a Farm Bill deal, the agriculture industry hopes for swift action. With just 53 Republicans in the Senate, compromise is needed to reach the Senate’s 60-vote cloture threshold.

Major differences remain between the House-passed Farm Bill and the Senate discussion draft and several are likely to carry over into the Senate Agriculture Committee process. The Senate draft does not include pre-emption language for state and local pesticide labeling laws, language addressing California’s Proposition 12 on-farm production standards for products sold in interstate commerce, or provisions allowing year-round E15 sales. The House-passed E15 legislation was sent to the Senate with the Farm Bill for simultaneous consideration. Major E15 supporters in the Senate are members of the Agriculture Committee. The Senate may be reluctant to take on this issue, but it may be forced into the expected “regular order” markup where any senator can bring up amendments on any policy issue of their choosing.

Meanwhile, President Trump has asked Congress to provide $87.6 billion in supplemental funding, including $11.1 billion for American farmers. The request includes $10 billion in temporary economic assistance for row and specialty crops planted in crop year 2026. It also includes $1.1 billion to help Florida agricultural producers recover from losses caused by severe winter storms, according to the letter to Congress. The request also calls for passage of year-round E15 and hemp regulatory approval.

Election calendar narrows the legislative window

Just 40 legislative days remain before the mid-term election, leaving Congress little time to address unfinished business while members also campaign for reelection. So far, 27 states have held primaries with 23 to go. Passing meaningful legislation is always difficult in an election year, but the deteriorating economy has many members looking for momentum as they go into the mid-term elections. They would like to have accomplishments to campaign with.

Historically, mid-term election results have favored the party out of power, but redistricting efforts across the country could play a significant role in the results and may partially or fully offset those historical trends. President Trump has already endorsed several candidates who defeated prominent incumbent Republican members. It is unclear how those members will fare in the general election or how the defeated incumbents will vote as they finish their terms. Because of newly drawn congressional districts, the usual post-midterm shift in party numbers may be less significant. Regardless of which party wins control of the House and Senate, close to 100 new members are being sworn in after this election cycle. Change is afoot.

As the agricultural economy continues to deteriorate, rural America is hoping for meaningful Congressional support as input costs remain high, the economy continues to struggle and crops continue to sit in bins. Affordability is being discussed at kitchen tables across America, and many producers are anxious as they prepare for their future.