Ag lawmakers like House Agriculture Committee Chair Rep. GT Thompson (R-PA) are eyeing this fall as a soft deadline to produce a “Skinny” Farm Bill. A slimmed-down version of the bill is made possible because many typical Farm Bill provisions are included in President Donald Trump‘s “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
One ag group hopes politics don’t get in the way.
“It’s really the folks in the middle who are the ones who always deliver the Farm Bill,” said Kam Quarles with the National Potato Council. “It’s anybody’s guess as to where that bipartisanship is going to come from in a very contentious congress, but I think the leaders of the ag committees are going to give it their best shot here when we get back from the August recess.”
Earlier this month, House Ag Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson said the “Skinny Farm Bill” would require an additional $8 billion over the next decade, which is still lower than prior estimates. Several items to address include conservation programs, loan limits, and concerns such as overturning stringent state regulations on agricultural products, such as California’s controversial Proposition 12.
How the “Big, Beautiful Bill” and past Farm Bills overlap
The Big, Beautiful Bill represents a substantial federal investment in agriculture, encompassing a significant portion of what would typically be included in the Farm Bill. Many are now speculating over a potential timeline for a “skinny” version of that legislation.
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) joined us Friday on the Market Day Report for an update. In an interview with RFD-TV’s own XX, Sen. Morran explained the overlaps between Trump’s reconciliation bill and the main provisions of past Farm Bills, shared his outlook on Congress’s ability to produce a scaled-back Farm Bill by fall, as well as the changes he secured in the rescissions package to ensure funding for food aid programs.
The Farm Bureau is making an urgent call to Congress for more farm support. Colton Lacina with Farmers National Company joined us to discuss farmland values and how market dynamics for the year ahead reflect stabilization rather than collapse.
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