Senator Chuck Grassley has been a staunch critic of wasteful spending by today’s government, including in agriculture.
He has repeatedly accused the Biden administration of abusing Commodity Credit Corporation Funds. He took to the Senate floor to express his disappointment in one of the USDA;s final acts under the administration, to increase payment limits for specialty crop farmers from $15,000 to $900,000 under the Marketing Assistance for Speciality Crops Program.
“This increase cost American taxpayers over $650 million, without a vote of a Congress. Had this been the desire of Congress, it would have been included in the Continuing Resolution passed just weeks before,” the Senator notes. “Article 1 of the Consitution is very clear. Congress has the power of the purse; it’s time we stop the abuse of that power by the executive branch, whether that’s Republican or Democrat.”
Senator Grassley says that he plans to advocate for limits on the amount of money that one farmer can get from government farm programs, preventing the subsidization of big farms from becoming even bigger, and focusing that spending on small to medium-sized farms.
He looks forward to pursuing the cap in the new five-year Farm Bill to come.
The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2026 agenda centers on labor stability, biosecurity, and economic resilience for family farms. Expanded DMC coverage improves risk protection for dairy operations facing tighter margins.
January 14, 2026 11:19 AM
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Agronomy experts explain why standing crop residue protects soil and reduces costs for crop growers, while shredding often yields little benefit at higher costs.
January 14, 2026 08:00 AM
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Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller today unveiled a bold plan to protect the nation’s prime farm and ranchland from the rapid spread of data centers.
January 13, 2026 03:36 PM
Secretary Rollins also met with specialty crop producers at a local strawberry farm to discuss workforce needs and the Trump Administration’s recent wins related to significantly cutting the cost of H-2A labor for California farmers.
January 13, 2026 03:25 PM
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China’s beef policy risk stems from domestic volatility, making export demand inherently unstable. Jake Charleston with Specialty Risk Insurance offers his perspective on cattle markets, risk management, and producer sentiment.
January 13, 2026 02:13 PM
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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said permanent access to the higher ethanol blend would provide farmers with much-needed certainty while supporting domestic crop demand.
January 13, 2026 01:31 PM
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