Chair GT Thompson: The new Farm Bill will be much cheaper

The “Big, Beautiful Bill” took on much of the heavy lifting typically found in the Farm Bill. Now, ag leaders are turning their focus to the issues still left unsolved by President Trump’s legislation.

House Ag Committee Chair GT Thompson tells Politico that he is still on track to create a new Farm Bill, and he expects it to cost less than $8 billion. Thompson is looking to include bills that were agreed upon when his Committee advanced its Farm Bill last year. The reconciliation package signed late last week handled SNAP, which takes up most Farm Bill dollars. There was a lot of pushback surrounding the program, specifically when it came to overpayments.

“USDA has pointed out that there’s about $10 billion a year in waste, just in the SNAP program. Fraud, improper payments, not going to children that you hear about on the floor…it’s going to improper payments, to fraud—$10 billion a year,” said Congressman Steve Scalise.

This year, USDA found the error rate at just below 11 percent for the entire SNAP program. The new law will use these error rates to determine what states owe moving forward. States can use their error rates from this year or next to calculate their match. Then, starting in 2029, the rate would be based on the average from the three years prior.

Related Stories
Farm CPA Paul Neiffer explains the updates to crop insurance subsidies, additional benefits for new farmers, and eligibility considerations for those entering the program.
House ag leaders had hoped to get the Farm Bill voted on by Easter, but no dates have been secured just yet.
Farm CPA Paul Nieffer explains the Farmer Bridge Assistance payment limits, provides clarity on new legislation, and offers advice for producers considering business structure adjustments.
Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and Kansas congressman Dan Glickman joined RFD News to share his outlook on agricultural policy, bipartisan cooperation, and the challenges facing farmers today.
The bill has already cleared the House Agriculture Committee and is headed toward a full House vote, but the timeline for final passage remains unclear. But the question is, when exactly? Could it possibly be a nice little gift for Easter?
National Pork Producers Council incoming president Rob Brenneman shares insights from the National Pork Industry Forum in Kansas City, where producers gathered to discuss Farm Bill policy, sustainability, and other priorities for the year ahead.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

National Pork Board Chief Sustainability Officer Jamie Burr shares a closer look at the Pork Checkoff’s Pork Cares Farm Impact Report, a research program to increase trust in the pork supply chain.
Brooks York with Agrisompo joined us on Monday’s Market Day Report with some guidance on how producers can navigate their crop insurance claims for unsold grain crops.
For many farm businesses, property taxes on business assets have become a significant and highly visible expense, threatening liquidity, discouraging investment, and creating a disproportionate burden when compared to other industries.
Ethanol markets remain mixed — weaker production and blend rates are being partially balanced by stronger exports as winter demand patterns take shape.
Tariff relief may soften grocery prices, but it also intensifies competition for U.S. fruit, vegetable, and beef producers as cheaper imports regain market share.