The Farm Bill Is Finally Moving — But It's Already Drawing Fire
The House Agriculture Committee released a sweeping new farm bill last week, setting up a critical markup on February 23. Here's what's at stake.
The bottom line: After three extensions of the expired 2018 Farm Bill, Congress is making its most serious push yet to pass a new agriculture legislation package. But Democratic opposition, industry pushback on specific provisions, and notable policy omissions threaten to derail the effort before it gains real momentum. Three threads dominated the agriculture policy space this week:
- The "Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026" dropped — and a markup is days away, with bipartisan support far from guaranteed.
- Year-round E15 ethanol sales were left out of the bill entirely, frustrating corn-state lawmakers and the biofuels industry.
- SNAP food purchase restrictions are generating chaos on the ground, adding urgency to the nutrition assistance debate as Congress shapes the farm bill's nutrition title.
The House Farm Bill Arrives — With a Markup and a Fight
After years of delays and three consecutive extensions of the 2018 Farm Bill, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-PA) released the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567) on February 13. The bill spans all 12 titles of a traditional farm bill reauthorization, addressing disaster programs, conservation, rural development, dairy policy, farm credit, specialty crops, and more.
This package is sometimes referred to as "Farm Bill 2.0" or the "skinny farm bill" because it covers the agricultural policy areas that were excluded from last summer's reconciliation package — the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" — which handled commodity subsidies and crop insurance. A full committee markup is scheduled for Monday, February 23, making the coming days a pivotal moment for the direction of American agricultural policy.
What's in the bill
According to DTN/Progressive Farmer, the legislation expands disaster aid programs, increases guaranteed operating loan limits, and tweaks dairy policy. Roll Call reported that specific provisions include intoxicating hemp product testing requirements, new EPA pesticide labeling authority, restrictions on state-level animal cruelty standards, and the transfer of the Food for Peace program from the shuttered USAID to USDA.
Where the opposition stands
The bill faces immediate headwinds. Politico reported that the House Agriculture Committee's top Democrat has said it will be "very difficult, if not impossible" to support the package due to what Democrats are calling "poison pills." The pesticide liability provision — which, according to Agriculture.com, would shield pesticide makers from state-level lawsuits over label warnings — is one of the most contentious elements.
Industry reaction is mixed
Agriculture.com reported that the bill has drawn both praise and pushback from agricultural stakeholders. Dairy groups reportedly praised expanded SNAP dairy incentives, while other groups flagged concerns about the scope of farmer aid and specific regulatory provisions.
Who's lobbying
The agriculture space is one of the most heavily lobbied policy domains in Congress, with nearly 1,700 organizations actively engaged. Among those with the largest recent quarterly lobbying expenditures on agriculture issues: Feeding America disclosed $300,710 in a recent quarter, focused on child nutrition reauthorization, farm bill implementation, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities disclosed $100,000, lobbying on farm bill authorization, implementation, and agriculture appropriations. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. also disclosed $100,000 in the fourth quarter of 2024, focused on truck size and weight regulations related to the movement of agriculture commodities.
Major companies affected by the bill's outcome include agribusiness giants like Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland, and Bunge; agricultural input and biotech firms like Corteva Agriscience, Bayer, and Syngenta; and food processors like Tyson Foods and General Mills.
What's next
The February 23 markup will be the first real test of whether this bill can move. On the Senate side, Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-AR) has reportedly expressed support for the House bill's direction, but the Senate timeline remains unclear. With 276 agriculture bills introduced this Congress and zero passed, the pressure to deliver is mounting.
E15 Ethanol Gets Shut Out of the Farm Bill
For corn-state lawmakers and the biofuels industry, the new farm bill contained a glaring absence: no provision for year-round E15 ethanol sales.
Why it matters
Year-round sales of E15 — gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol — have been a top priority for corn growers and ethanol producers for years. Current EPA regulations restrict summer sales of E15 due to volatility concerns, limiting market access for a product that the biofuels industry argues would lower gas prices and support rural economies.
Why it was left out
Brownfield Ag News reported that Chairman Thompson explained the omission by pointing to procedural constraints. Including E15 provisions would be ruled "non-germane" by parliamentarians because the issue falls under the jurisdiction of the Energy and Commerce Committee, not Agriculture. Thompson reportedly expressed personal support for E15 but said it simply cannot be part of this bill.
What it means for the biofuels industry
The exclusion means the biofuels industry will need to find another legislative vehicle — or push for standalone legislation through the Energy and Commerce Committee — to achieve year-round E15 authorization. Organizations like the National Corn Growers Association and the American Soybean Association, both major lobbying forces in the agriculture space, have long advocated for this policy. The American Sheep Industry Association, which disclosed $40,000 in lobbying on the farm bill and agriculture appropriations, is among the many commodity groups tracking the broader farm bill's progress, though E15 specifically affects corn and ethanol interests most directly.
The omission underscores a recurring challenge in agricultural policy: the farm bill is massive, but it can't address everything. Jurisdictional boundaries in Congress mean that some of the policies most important to farm-state economies must be pursued through separate committees and separate legislation.
SNAP Restrictions Are Creating "Confusion and Chaos" on the Ground
As Congress debates the nutrition title of the new farm bill, the real-world implementation of new SNAP food purchase restrictions is generating significant controversy — and adding urgency to the legislative debate over nutrition assistance.
What's happening
Civil Eats reported that USDA has approved waivers in 18 states allowing unprecedented restrictions on what foods can be purchased with SNAP benefits. Five states have already implemented the restrictions. Anti-hunger groups are warning that the rules are increasing food prices and making it harder for recipients to eat healthily.
Why it matters for the farm bill
The nutrition title is historically the largest component of the farm bill by spending, and SNAP policy has long been one of the most politically charged elements of any farm bill reauthorization. The current state-level restrictions add a new dimension to the debate: lawmakers must now weigh whether to codify, expand, or roll back these waivers as part of the new legislation.
Feeding America, one of the largest organizations lobbying on agriculture issues with $300,710 in recent quarterly disclosures, has been focused specifically on SNAP and child nutrition reauthorization. The organization's lobbying priorities align directly with the concerns raised by anti-hunger advocates about the impact of new restrictions on food access.
The political dynamic
SNAP has traditionally been the glue that holds farm bill coalitions together — rural lawmakers support nutrition spending in exchange for urban and suburban lawmakers supporting farm subsidies. Any disruption to that dynamic, whether through restrictive SNAP waivers or contentious provisions in the nutrition title, could complicate the already fragile bipartisan math that Chairman Thompson needs to get his bill through committee and onto the House floor.
The American Conservation Coalition, which disclosed $40,000 in lobbying on conservative climate solutions in the farm bill, represents the kind of cross-cutting interest that demonstrates how broadly the farm bill touches American policy — from food stamps to forest management to climate.
Looking Ahead
The February 23 markup is the immediate flashpoint. If the bill clears committee, it will face a floor vote in a narrowly divided House where agricultural policy intersects with fights over pesticide regulation, nutrition assistance, animal welfare, and trade. Meanwhile, USDA's "Farmer and Rancher Freedom" initiative — announced alongside a $1 billion early aid package for specialty crop producers — signals the executive branch is moving on its own timeline.
And looming over all of it: Politico reported that the chairs and ranking members of both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees have signaled that H-2A visa program reform is a top priority for 2026, setting the stage for labor provisions to be debated alongside or in connection with the farm bill.
After three extensions and zero bills passed this Congress, the agriculture sector is watching closely. Monday's markup will reveal whether this farm bill has the votes to move — or whether America's farmers are in for another round of delays.