House passes the “Big, Beautiful Bill” by one vote

In the last few hours, the House has narrowly passed the “Big, Beautiful Bill” Act that extends tax breaks and boosts farm programs.

The reconciliation bill was again debated all night, this time before the full House. It passed by just one vote and made the 2017 tax cuts permanent, a major request from farmers and ag groups. This includes adjustments to the estate tax exemption, and it also includes SNAP reform, increases crop insurance, and commodity program spending. House Ag Committee Chair GT Thompson says the bill stops tax hikes, reigns in spending, and invests in rural America.

The bill now moves to the Senate. Thompson says once this bill is settled, he is eager to get to work on the Farm Bill, which addresses several issues not included in the reconciliation package. Those include farm loan limits and rules, action on the local ag market program, nutrition assistance incentives, and other rural development programs. Thompson says the remaining issues in the Farm Bill are now much easier to tackle with the larger issues now out of the way.

Related Stories
A slimmed-down Farm Bill is back on the table in Washington, with lawmakers pushing for a deal by Fall 2025. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas weighs in with his outlook.
Congress is seeking insight from meteorologists and weather researchers on how new technology can enhance safety and response times to severe weather and prevent future disasters.
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer says the labor program will now be fully under her department, and consolidation will make the program more affordable and efficient for farmers and ranchers.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Leslee Oden, president of the National Turkey Federation, and Jay Jandrain, CEO of Butterball, joined us in the studio on Monday to discuss the history, significance, and expectations surrounding this year’s presidential turkey pardon.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) estimates that the move will save farmers and ranchers $2.5 billion each year. The group warns that new methods for calculating the adverse-effect wage rate would result in lower pay for foreign workers.
Higher rail tariffs and tighter Canadian supplies will keep oat transportation costs firm into 2026.
These “USDA Foods” are provided to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) nutrition assistance programs, including food banks that operate The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and are a vital component of the nation’s food safety net.
Tyson’s closure reflects deep supply shortages in the U.S. cattle industry, tightening packing capacity, weakening competition, and signaling more volatility ahead for cow-calf producers and feedyards.