The House Agriculture Committee on March 5 approved a new five-year reauthorization of the farm bill that would extend many of the major U.S. Department of Agriculture programs through 2031. The Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 (HR 7567) passed by a margin of 34 to 17, with all Republicans and seven Democrats voting in favor of the bill. The bill, which is often being referred to as Farm Bill 2.0, would replace the 2018 farm bill that expired in 2023 but has been temporarily extended many times since then. The measure is now headed to the House floor although it remains to be seen whether the bipartisan support is enough to convince GOP leaders to put the measure on the floor.
The bill would move $1 billion in near-term funding out of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to help support other conservation programs. While the bill does not change program funding levels from 2031 onward, it would slightly reduce levels from FY27 through FY30 EQIP that were previously included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Even with the reductions in EQIP funding, Thompson said overall funding for the program will still remain 54% above the January 2025 baseline for the program, and more than what was proposed in the 2024 farm bill.The committee debate was tinged with efforts by both Republicans and Democrats to present positions to garner support in the upcoming mid-term elections. For Republicans, the bill includes higher USDA loan limits and provisions to preempt California’s Proposition 12 and to protect glyphosate and other pesticides. Democrats forced Republicans to vote on a range of issues, including cuts to SNAP funding and year-round use of E-15 ethanol. Committee Chair GT Thompson (R-PA) pointed out that jurisdiction for this issue is in the Energy Committee and including it now would delay the bill from moving forward.
A companion bill is being drafted in the Senate with the hope a moving it forward for full Senate consideration. However, the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, Amy Klobuchar, says the legislation won’t attract Democratic votes in that chamber unless it addresses some SNAP cuts that Republicans forced through Congress last year. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last year requires states to start paying 5% to 15% of SNAP benefit costs if they have a payment error rate above 6%.