President Donald Trump is formally calling on Congress to deliver $11.1 billion in economic assistance for farmers. In a June 24 Office of Management and Budget letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, the president requested $87.6 billion in supplemental funding. Included in that request is $10 billion in temporary assistance for row and specialty crops planted during the 2026 crop year. Trump also requested $1.1 billion to help Florida producers recover from losses incurred during winter storms this year.
American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall applauded the request, saying farmers “are grateful to have the president’s backing” after enduring economic losses for several years. Still, he acknowledged $11 billion falls short of what farmers truly need.
“Not only do we urge Congress to heed the White House call to deliver economic aid, but we also know both sides of the aisle in Congress recognize more is needed as farmers’ losses nationwide far exceed $11 billion,” Duvall said in a June 25 statement. “Over the last decade we have lost nearly 200,000 farms, so we need to stabilize the farm economy and reverse that trend. Additional aid will certainly help.”
According to multiple sources, a new farmer assistance package would likely be delivered in a manner similar to the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program and the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Program unveiled earlier this year.
In April, House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson said he hoped to pass a $20 billion farmer assistance program this year.
During June 23 remarks following the release of a new farm bill proposal, Senate Ag Committee Chair John Boozman said it was “vital” to pass another bridge payment program “as soon as possible.”
Boozman added that including farmer assistance in a supplemental spending bill will ultimately help the entire package pass.
Renewed call for year-round E15
In the same OMB letter, Trump called on Congress to pass legislation codifying permanent year-round E15 sales. He said that legislation was an “urgent and needed fix.”
In May, the House narrowly passed a bill allowing year-round sales. The Senate is expected to consider the measure later this year.
According to Farm Bureau data, year-round sales of fuel blended with 15% ethanol could increase corn demand by up to 2.4 billion bushels a year. E15 is also typically 10 to 30 cents cheaper per gallon than regular gasoline, according to the AFBF.
Renewable Fuels Association data indicates those cost savings have been as much as 60 to 80 cents per gallon in certain locations. In a June 24 press release, RFA president and CEO Geoff Cooper thanked the president for supporting efforts to allow year-round E15.
“He (Trump) has called on Congress multiple times now to pass legislation that simply allows consumers to choose lower-cost E15 all year long,” Cooper said. “The House has heeded this call by passing year-round E15 legislation in May. Now it’s time for the Senate to move quickly and give Americans what they clearly want and need—relief at the pump.”