The hearing preview lobbying landscape reveals deep industry interest in how Americans buy and eat U.S.-grown food. As American farmers face mounting financial pressure, trade disruptions from tariffs, and an unfinished Farm Bill the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee has scheduled a hearing for March 10, 2026, titled "Hearings to Examine Increasing Domestic Consumption of United States-Grown Agricultural Products." Chaired by Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) as ranking member, the congressional hearing 2026 session arrives — all while lobbying disclosures 2025 show more than $2 million spent by stakeholders trying to shape exactly the policies this hearing will examine.

Why it matters: The hearing sits at the intersection of agricultural economics, nutrition policy, and trade — three areas where the administration, Congress, and the private sector are actively jockeying for influence. The outcome could shape everything from what appears on grocery shelves to how federal nutrition dollars flow back to American producers.

What Sparked the Hearing

Committee members have been sounding alarms for weeks. In a February 15 communication, Chair Boozman and Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) pushed for expanded farm assistance amid what they described as growing financial strain on producers, building on USDA's Farmer Bridge Assistance program.

Three days later, Boozman, Klobuchar, and Hoeven led a letter calling on USDA to restore prevented planting coverage — a signal that bipartisan concern about the farm economy is running high enough to drive joint action between the chair and ranking member.

Ranking Member Klobuchar laid out the broader context in a February 5 address to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, where she reportedly addressed tariff impacts on agriculture, the need for Farm Bill action, and USDA funding cuts affecting rural communities.

The hearing also follows Boozman's January statement on new dietary guidelines emphasizing nutrient-dense foods including meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables — a direct link between federal nutrition policy and demand for domestically grown products.

Hearing Preview Lobbying: Who's Spending and on What

Lobbying disclosures from all four quarters of 2025 paint a clear picture of the financial forces converging on this hearing's subject matter.

The Grown in America Act: A $440,000 Campaign

The single most lobbied piece of legislation tied to the hearing's theme is H.R. 1707, the "Grown in America Act of 2025," which would create a tax credit to incentivize purchasing American agricultural commodities. Anheuser-Busch Cos. LLC drove this effort, filing through at least five lobbying firms — including Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Washington Council Ernst & Young, Schertz Strategies, Langley Consulting, and SplitOak Strategies — across all four quarters, spending a combined total exceeding $440,000 on this issue alone.

Farm Bill and Trade Policy

The unfinished Farm Bill is a gravitational force pulling in organizations across the agricultural spectrum. The National Turkey Federation spent $50,000 in the third quarter of 2025 lobbying on the Farm Bill, the Market Access Program, and poultry tariffs. The South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation spent $30,000 in the same quarter on what it termed "Farm Bill 2.0" and free market trade issues.

The Meat Institute (formerly North American Meat Institute) reported $169,375 in third quarter lobbying on international trade, the Farm Bill, cattle markets, food safety, and nutrition — a near-complete overlap with the hearing's stated scope.

Nutrition Programs and Local Procurement

On the demand side, major food retailers and advocacy groups are lobbying to shape how federal nutrition dollars connect to domestic producers. Albertsons Cos. reported $410,000 in first quarter 2025 lobbying on agriculture, SNAP, WIC, the Farm Bill, and "Food is Medicine" initiatives. Mondelez Global spent $250,000 in the same period on SNAP, the Farm Bill, and tariffs on food.

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition lobbied on the Local Food Purchase Assistance program, SNAP in farmers markets, and the EAT Local Foods Act — all mechanisms designed to channel consumer spending toward nearby producers. Bread for the World reported $40,000 in third quarter spending on local and regional procurement alongside SNAP and WIC.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spent $75,000 in the third quarter on dietary guidelines, SNAP-Ed, school meals with local food procurement, and "Food as Medicine" — connecting public health policy directly to agricultural markets.

Hearing Preview Lobbying Meets Legislative Action

Several legislative threads are worth watching. Beyond H.R. 1707, lobbying records reference the SAFETY Act (H.R. 2558), which addresses protecting common names for U.S. agricultural commodities in foreign markets. Anheuser-Busch and others lobbied on this bill alongside the Grown in America Act, suggesting the committee may examine how trade rules and labeling standards affect domestic demand.

On the bipartisan legislative front, Sens. Marshall (R-KS) and Bennet (D-CO) reintroduced the ACE Agriculture Act on February 13 to bolster agricultural research and development at USDA — addressing production-side challenges like pathogens, high fertilizer prices, and drought that directly affect what American farmers can grow and sell domestically.

The hearing also arrives as the committee navigates USDA program decisions. Boozman's February 17 statement welcomed USDA's Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers program while noting that more support is needed — a clear preview of the kinds of questions the committee is likely to press.

What This Means for the Public

The policies under discussion affect grocery prices, the availability of American-grown food in schools and federal nutrition programs, and whether tax incentives will steer institutional buyers toward domestic products. For the roughly 42 million Americans who participate in SNAP, and for school districts sourcing meals, decisions about local food procurement requirements could reshape supply chains.

For farmers, the hearing represents a Senate-level examination of whether existing federal tools — from crop insurance to market access programs to dietary guidelines — are doing enough to ensure that what they grow finds buyers at home, not just abroad.

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