After a tense week of negotiations, the House passed a potential new farm bill Thursday by a margin of 224-20. The bill now heads to the Senate where it faces an uncertain future.
Fourteen Democrats and one independent joined all but four Republicans in supporting the legislation, formally dubbed the Food and National Security Act of 2026. This comes after divisions within the GOP caucus nearly torpedoed the bill just one day earlier.
“Working in Congress on behalf of our nation’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities is an honor — even when the work requires debating the farm bill through the night,” House Ag Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., said in a statement shortly after the vote. “I can think of no more important work than championing the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, and I am extremely pleased to see this bill pass out of the House of Representatives with a strong bipartisan vote.”
Thompson went on to note that the bill received the highest number of votes from the minority party since 2008, as well as the most House Republican support in farm bill history. Despite this, many representatives were dismayed to see a bill passed that they believe doesn’t do enough for farmers.
“American farmers and working people are struggling to make ends meet. Whether it’s twice as expensive to fill up your tractor or twice as expensive at the grocery checkout, Americans can feel how tariffs, war with Iran and massive cuts to food assistance are making hard economic times even worse,” Ag Committee ranking member Angie Craig, D-Minn., said shortly after the vote. “The so-called farm bill that passed the House today does nothing to resolve high input costs, lost markets, surging food prices or provide a single penny in economic assistance to struggling family farmers.”
Craig added that the bill “falls short” because it perpetuates the $187 billion in nutrition funding cuts Republicans approved in last year’s budget reconciliation package. She also noted that the bill does not address the impact of President Trump’s tariff policies on farmers or provide additional farmer assistance. It also cuts the Environmental Quality Incentives Program by $1 billion.Year-round E15 not included
One of the major sticking points of the bill was an amendment to include year-round. Major refiners and oil state lawmakers opposed this provision, threatening the future of the entire bill. At one point, it appeared Republicans would postpone Thursday’s vote.
Following extended debate well into Wednesday night, House Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly brokered a deal to separate E15 from the full farm bill. The House is expected to vote on a stand-alone E15 provision sometime in May.
Pesticide provision removed
The Farm bill draft advanced by the House Agriculture Committee in March included a provision prohibiting state and local governments from requiring more stringent labeling requirements on pesticides. Supporters argued the rule was needed to ensure uniformity and keep costs down. They also contended it would prevent “frivolous” lawsuits against pesticide manufacturers.
Critics argued the language would shield companies from liability if their product endangered public health or the environment. Those critics included a block of MAHA-aligned Republicans, who threatened to withhold their support for the farm bill if the issue was not addressed. On Thursday, the House voted 280-142 in favor of an amendment introduced by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., to strip the language from the farm bill.
“I do not support giving blanket immunity to corporations at the expense of American families,” Luna said in a statement following the amendment vote. “Pesticides are linked to a 30% increase in childhood cancer and over 170 studies corroborate the evidence. This amendment ensures we stand on the side of the American people and the health of our nation, not corporate interests.”
California Prop. 12 could be nullified
Despite some opposition, a farm bill provision dubbed the “Save Our Bacon Act” remained in the final text. It is intended to nullify state laws like California’s voter-approved Prop 12, which sets additional standards for animal living conditions. Critics say that the farm bill provision violates state rights and puts more animals at risk of abuse.
“The Save Our Bacon Act is an unprecedented overreach of federal power that would eliminate states’ ability to regulate agriculture and overturn popular animal protection laws, betraying thousands of higher-welfare farmers who have already invested in more humane animal housing systems, and failing American voters and consumers who have no appetite for cruelty,” said Nancy Perry, senior vice president of government relations for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals.
Other industry reactions
“Farmers and ranchers applaud the House of Representatives for passing a new, modernized farm bill. We appreciate Chairman G.T. Thompson’s leadership to get this done. After three years of extensions and eight years since a farm bill was passed, we’re grateful the House found a bipartisan path forward. Important updates to research and conservation, as well as increased loan limits and clarity on interstate commerce, will help farmers survive today’s challenges and give them the tools to thrive in the future.” - Zippy Duvall, American Farm Bureau Federation president
“Farm bill policy must evolve to meet the realities of today’s economy, and while this bill provides some needed certainty, it does not fully address what is at stake. We look forward to working with the Senate to strengthen this bill and deliver more effective safety nets for farmers and families.” Rod Larew, National Farmers Union president
“Instead of caving to attacks on the livestock industry from shell activist groups that impersonate real producers, a bipartisan group of lawmakers advanced a bill that will provide certainty and important policy fixes for cattle country. We look forward to engaging with the Senate to advance this Farm Bill to the president’s desk.” - Ethan Lane, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association senior vice president of government affairs
“This bill reflects many of wheat farmers’ top priorities from modernizing farm credit and safeguarding international food aid programs to enhancing export competitiveness. These provisions will help ensure America’s wheat farmers can remain resilient and globally competitive. We urge the Senate to act quickly to advance this legislation and deliver a strong, bipartisan farm bill to the President’s desk.” - Jamie Kress, National Association of Wheat Growers president
Independent grocers operate on razor-thin margins, and transaction fees on SNAP purchases have threatened to impose detrimental costs on the very stores that serve as the backbone of food access in rural and low-income communities. We are grateful for the inclusion of the permanent ban on EBT fees and remain committed to working with the Senate to ensure this provision is included in the final bill." - Stephanie Johnson, National Grocers Association group vice president of government relations.
“AED applauds the U.S. House of Representatives bipartisan passage of the Farm, Food and National Security Act, and we look forward to working with the Senate to pass a farm bill and provide much needed certainty, support, and stability to farmers, ranchers, and rural America.” - Brian P. McGuire, Associated Equipment Distributors president and CEO