Why It Matters
Congress has shifted its approach to farm policy by funding 19 agricultural programs through the fiscal year 2025 budget reconciliation law rather than a comprehensive farm bill. A Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on farm bill programs without a budget baseline examines how these "orphan programs" received $1.014 billion in mandatory funding through fiscal year 2031, bypassing the traditional farm bill reauthorization process.
The stakes are significant for both the executive branch and Congress. The reconciliation route allows faster passage but narrows the scope of agricultural policy discussion. Programs without a baseline face an uncertain future once their authorization expires. Unlike programs with a continuing baseline, which have built-in future funding if Congress decides they should continue, these 19 programs will require explicit reauthorization to persist beyond 2031.
The Big Picture
The problem of farm programs without a budget baseline dates back at least to 2008. That farm bill included 37 such programs totaling approximately $9.1 billion. The 2014 farm bill included 39 programs without a baseline, totaling approximately $2.8 billion. By the 2018 farm bill, the count had shrunk to 21 programs, totaling approximately $906 million.
The reconciliation approach funded 18 of the 21 orphan programs from the 2018 farm bill and created one new program without a baseline: the Assistive Technology for Farmers with Disabilities program. These 19 programs span seven of the 12 farm bill titles. Three programs from the 2018 farm bill, namely the Biobased Markets Program, Biorefinery Assistance Program, and Rural Economic Development Program, did not receive new funding in the reconciliation package. Unobligated funds from the Biorefinery Assistance Program were rescinded in the 2024 farm bill extension, and further proposed rescissions are in H.R. 7567.
The Miscellaneous title programs alone account for $516 million of the funding through FY2031. Within that category, the Wool Apparel Trust Fund received $210 million and Emergency Citrus Disease Research received $175 million. Other significant allocations include $176 million for Conservation title programs, with $105 million directed to Feral Swine Eradication and Control; $119 million for Research title programs, including $60 million for 1890 Institution Scholarships; $76 million for Horticulture title programs, including $56 million for Organic Certification Cost-Share; and $127 million combined for Safety Net, Energy, and Nutrition title programs.
Notably, no programs in the trade, credit, rural development, forestry, or crop insurance titles are affected by baseline gaps.
The Bottom Line
The funding provided through the 2025 reconciliation law does not create a new baseline beyond fiscal year 2031. The number of programs without a budget baseline has declined significantly from the 2008 farm bill, suggesting Congress has made progress in addressing this structural issue, though the reliance on reconciliation rather than a comprehensive farm bill represents a departure from traditional agricultural policy-making.
Access the Legis1 platform for comprehensive political news, data, and insights.
Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article