Congress is set to return to session on Monday after the midterm elections, which shifted power from Republicans to Democrats in January. However, the current so-called Farm Bill expired in September, and the remaining program funding is expected to cease by the end of December.
The House approved its version of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 in April by a vote of 224-200, mostly with Republican support, with 14 Democrats backing the bill, which met the 218-vote requirement to pass. The entire Iowa House delegation and Illinois House Representatives Darin LaHood (R-16) and Mary Miller (R-15) voted for the bill, while Democrat Eric Sorensen (D-17) opposed it, stating it did not restore funding cut from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that was removed in the One Big Beautiful Bill.
The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced its version of the Farm Bill, known as the Agricultural Act of 2026 or Farm Bill 2.0, in September by a 12–11 party-line vote. The Senate has not considered that version of the bill in its main chamber and will need 60 votes to pass.
“Democrats have been holding firm for a 2-year extension to match that which was given to those states with the gravest errors like Alaska, and that's what's been holding up the bill mostly. One of the things that cannot happen for America's independent family farmers is for a deal to be made on SNAP and for industrial agriculture, the major commodities, to get everything they want in all the other provisions of the bill,” President of the Farm Action Fund, Joe Maxwell, said in an interview with WVIK. “I know Democrats are holding firm. I strongly, and our organization strongly supports individuals who are in need to have access to food. But Democrats should not just negotiate that provision. And we have concerns that that could happen.”
The Farm Action Fund is a network of small farmers, businesses, and processors across rural America. Their aim is to promote market opportunities for small operations and counter the massive influence of corporate agriculture companies in government policymaking.
“We have been pushing to make sure that the specialty crops, which is really our food crops, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and others, get to have the same opportunity for government support, risk management tools, as does our commodity crops in the Title I, mostly in our regions, corn and soybean,” Maxwell said. “And the House at least put a framework for that to begin. Currently, we don't feed ourselves in America; 35% of our vegetables are imported, over 60% of our fruits. And we're continuing to import more and more beef. So this country needs to focus on being able to feed ourselves as a national security.
“[W]e're losing 63 farmers a day, and folks at home can't afford their groceries. There's a horrible concentration issue. The folks in the middle, the big monopoly corporations, are making all the money. They're shortpaying the farmer on one end and gouging the consumer on the other. And both versions of the bill ignore that reality and don't really take on the market structure that we need to have in America, whether that's through the Packers and Stockyards Act or through the Sherman or Clayton Act.”
Another member of the group, John Gilbert, a farmer in Hardin County who raises grain and livestock, including pigs, said the current Farm Bill has been badly corrupted.
“I'm almost wondering if we weren't— wouldn't be better off in the new Congress, starting all over, because really, a Farm Bill that we need needs to address the big problems we have in agriculture,” Gilbert said. And one of the biggest is that most rural parts of America are being treated like sacrifice zones and the big corporations are basically being colonialists, and we're their serfs. And it's high time that the Farm Bill was not written by the commodity organizations and that it was written by people who understand what really is needed out here in the countryside.”
Gilbert said farmers are suffering economically as ongoing tariffs impact crop sales and equipment procurement. Gilbert's main concern is the consolidation of the agricultural industry, saying that in many areas, like fertilizer, there are only two suppliers.
“There is no longer adequate competition in the marketplace. And, you know, we need to go back to what they called over a century ago, trust busting,” Gilbert said. “We're at the point now where it's not just in agricultural suppliers and markets; it's all across our society. I think the tech bros are the new robber barons, and we need to be clear about that. And we have a lot of fighting to do in this country to reclaim the rights of the citizens. And right now, we're just looking at a lot of times where rights are being taken away from us.”
Maxwell urges Congress not to rush the process and, if necessary, pass a continuing resolution to maintain existing programs in the interim.
“Instead of passing a bill, they can do a continuation CR on this and continue the existing program of 2018 and push it into the new Congress,” Maxwell said. “What would happen? Well, a delay of a few months would not make a big difference, if any difference, in agriculture. So positive thought, really looking at the needs of America's farmers is the way they should approach the Farm Bill and not get rushed to close it out by the end of the year.”
This story was produced by WVIK, Quad Cities NPR. We rely on financial support from our listeners and readers to provide coverage of the issues that matter to the Quad Cities region and beyond. As someone who values the content created by WVIK's news department, please consider making a financial contribution to support our work.
