WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD NEWS) — The House passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act on a 224-200 vote after two days of debate and a final round of amendment fights that reshaped the bill. The vote showed leadership held together a narrow coalition, with 14 Democrats supporting the measure, while 3 Republicans voted no.
The legislation required a simple majority of 218 members in order to pass. Republicans comprised 210 of the 244 ‘yea’ votes, with 14 Democrats in agreement.
The bill moved through a day of intense negotiations over key issues, including ethanol policy, nutrition programs, and agricultural regulations.
A few key things to note about the legislation that passed today:
- An amendment for year-round E15 sales was stripped from the bill; the measure will be voted on in two weeks, separately
- Pesticide labeling was also stripped out due to protests from Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) supporters in Congress
- Prop 12 did make the bill — setting a national standard rather than allowing states to determine their own policies
- A Late amendment was also added to include language to strengthen the domestic supply of fertilizer
The final floor action on “The Farm Bill” made clear which issues the House was willing to embrace and which it rejected. Lawmakers approved the Crawford amendment to allow hot rotisserie chicken under SNAP and adopted the Luna amendment to strike pesticide-labeling uniformity and related state-authority language from the bill.
The House also adopted amendments to require a USDA report on SNAP restriction pilots, remove emissions mandates on farm equipment, ban purchases of agricultural land by foreign adversaries and state sponsors of terrorism, and establish honey testing standards.
Other high-profile proposals failed. The House rejected the Bentz amendment to broaden the Renewable Fuel Standard definition of renewable biomass, the Grothman amendment to repeal the interstate EID ear tag rule, the Moore amendment on greyhound racing, and the Self amendment to make soda ineligible for SNAP.
The result gives the House a passed bill, but not a finished farm bill. The debate showed the coalition can hold long enough to pass the package, though only after lawmakers cut away several of the most divisive proposals.
Lawmakers are offering their reaction as the Farm Bill has now cleared the House after a day of heavy debate. U.S. Representative Derek Schmidt (R-KS) joined us on Thursday’s Market Day Report from Washington to share his outlook following House passage of the bill and provide context on what comes next for the legislation.
In his interview with RFD News, Schmidt discussed presiding over a portion of the Farm Bill debate and his expectations that the House would complete action on the legislation. He also addressed how the new version of the bill could impact farm profitability, including expanded loan programs, research priorities, and opportunities tied to new markets and renewable fuels.
Rep. Schmidt also shared the concerns he has heard from Kansas producers regarding tariffs, high input costs, and pricing pressures, and how the legislation could provide greater stability for farmers.
He also addressed the decision to advance E15 separately from the Farm Bill and whether compromises were necessary to secure passage in the House, and ongoing engagement with producers through his agriculture-focused town halls.
Finally, Schmidt discussed what the House debate could mean for the timeline of final action on the bill and how much the legislation may change once it reaches the Senate.
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House Farm Bill Amendment Breakdown
Passed by recorded vote:
- #8 SNAP eligibility for hot rotisserie chicken
- #20 USDA report on SNAP restriction pilots
- #28 Strike pesticide-labeling uniformity / state-authority language
- #39 Sustainable agriculture / innovative sustainability support, as modified
- #49 Remove emissions mandates on farm equipment
Passed by voice vote this morning:
- #50 Ban purchases of ag land by foreign adversaries and state sponsors of terrorism
- #51 Establish honey testing standards
Passed earlier by voice vote:
- #1 Columbia Basin / Western Waters conservation area
- #3 Composting as a conservation practice
- #4 Dairy Business Innovation funding equity
- #5 Tree-planting grants to reduce residential energy use
- #7 Circuit Rider continuity during funding lapses
- #15 Report on Colorado River water-loss assistance in Arizona
- #16 Mexican wolf depredation confirmation standards
- #18 Ban animal research in China, Russia, and countries of concern
- #21 Grasslands Grazing Act language
- #24 Raise USDA biorefinery loan guarantee cap
- #26 FCC review for precision-ag satellite rules
- #29 Codify USDA Office of Seafood
- #30 Clarify USDA eligibility for fishing and fish processing businesses
- #31 Animal adoption / non-lab placement from federal research facilities
- #41 Report on barriers for organic farms in USDA programs
- #42 Aquaculture studies in Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands
- #45 Reduce hurdles for small farmers in nutrition programs
- #46 Continuous CRP SAFE enrollment
Passed earlier in Thompson en bloc No. 1:
- #6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 19, 23, 25, 32, 34, 35, 37, 40, 43, 44, 48, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57
Failed:
- #2 Broaden RFS renewable biomass definition
- #22 Repeal interstate EID eartag rule
- #36 Preserve West Virginia greyhound racing
- #47 Make soda ineligible for SNAP
This is a developing story. Stay with RFD News for updates.
