WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD NEWS) — A Northeast blizzard has delayed the full House Agriculture Committee markup of the new Farm Bill draft that was originally scheduled for today. Committee Chairman, Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA), says the markup will now happen next week. Because of this snowstorm rocking the northeast right now, the House and Senate have canceled floor votes for today.
Economists at the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) say if the “Farm Bill 2.0" passes, it would reset the timeline after years of extensions since the 2018 bill. They say the goal is to realign rural development, food aid, and international trade programs under a single reauthorization schedule.
“It’s been a while since we’ve seen a full Farm Bill, the last in 2018,” said AFBF Economist Faith Parum. “I mean, we’ve seen some extensions through that period. And now we need to make sure we’re all back on the same track and put back allour titles. And so that way in 2031, when it comes time again to talk about a farm bill, we’re all back on that same title, making sure that all of our rural development programs, our food for aid programs, international trade funding programs, all of those are reauthorized and put on that same timeline.”
North Carolina growers are also excited to get a new Farm Bill. The state’s ag commissioner tells us they want more support when hard times come around.
“We need to know more about how [the legislation is] going to help us manage risks that have come along so frequently later,” he said. “Everything needs to be reindexed as to the economy as we see it now. Yeah, it’s paramount that we get this farm bill, and we get it now, and we start to adapt to the policy that’s going to come out of Washington, D.C..”
The proposal also addresses Proposition 12, moves Food for Peace permanently under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and creates a council focused on specialty crop needs.
Beyond financial protections, the upcoming Farm Bill fight is shaping into a battle over market access, regulation, and whether long-term policy certainty returns to agriculture.
The proposal expands export promotion funding, shifts Food for Peace authority to the USDA, and increases support for overseas market development programs. Lawmakers also target foreign trade barriers and infrastructure constraints that affect U.S. agricultural competitiveness.
Regulatory provisions narrow water jurisdiction rules, clarify livestock production standards across state lines, and reduce pesticide approval uncertainty — all issues producers have argued add operational risk. Rural development sections fund broadband, health facilities, childcare, and processing capacity to stabilize rural economies that support agriculture.
However, passage is far from certain. Nutrition spending disputes, SNAP reforms, and broader budget negotiations remain major obstacles as the House Agriculture Committee begins markup.
Failure to pass a full bill would likely mean another short-term extension — continuing uncertainty around support programs and regulatory direction. Markup by the House Agriculture Committee begins on Monday.
