House Ag advances 2026 Farm Bill out of Committee with bipartisan support: Kicking off on Tuesday, March 3, and lasting until the early hours of Thursday, March 5, the House Committee on Agriculture held a Full Committee markup of H.R. 7567 —The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. The text similarly resembled that of the 2024 version of the farm bill that was marked up and passed out of Committee in the last Congress. Republicans voiced strong support for bill and toted the package as bipartisan, budget-neutral legislation that continues to build upon the improvements made by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21) as well as the need to reauthorize a new five-year farm bill to provide certainty for farmers and rancher across the country.

Democrats expressed frustration over the lack of bipartisan dialogue prior to the release of the base text and largely criticized changes made to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through the reconciliation process last summer, the Trump Administration’s trade policies, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed reorganization. Other topics frequently discussed included specialty crop producers, disaster assistance, agricultural research, pesticides, conservation management, animal welfare, land-grant institutions, and rural community development.

After a collective 22-hour markup, the bill was ultimately approved by the Committee as amended and favorably reported to the House floor along a 34-17 vote with bipartisan support. Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and his Republican colleagues were joined by seven Democratic Committee members in voting in favor of the bill. Those Democratic members included Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA), Sharice Davids (D-KS), Don Davis (D-NC), Gabe Vasquez (D-NM), Adam Gray (D-CA), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI), and Josh Riley (D-NY). The rest of the Democrats on the Committee, including Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-MN), voted against the bill’s passage. Now, Chairman Thompson looks towards House Republican leadership to trip and secure floor time in hopes of advancing the bill to the Senate in a timely manner. You can watch the full markup here.

“The House Agriculture Committee taking this step on the Farm Bill is welcome news, and USRPA commends the committee for its steadfast work,” said Mollie Buckler, President and CEO of USRPA. “A strong farm bill is essential to providing certainty for producers and maintaining the global competitiveness of U.S. rice.”

USDA Trade Under Secretary testifies before House Appropriations Ag Subcommittee: On Wednesday, March 4, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies called U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Under Secretary Luke Lindberg to testify for an oversight hearing. Republicans and Democrats offered broad support for reducing U.S. reliance on foreign markets and agreed on the importance of increasing U.S. agricultural exports. Republicans focused on reducing the agricultural trade deficit, promoting America First trade policies, and exploring the benefits of a buy American approach. Democrats emphasized concerns about the transition of the Food for Peace program, the impact of the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), USDA staff reductions, and the need for lawful administration of food aid funds. Members of both parties raised questions concerning specialty crops and how USDA plans to protect farmers from non-tariff barriers. Other topics discussed included the farm bill, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and foreign dumping practices. You can watch the full hearing here.