The House of Representatives passed a $390 billion farm bill after days of jockeying among Republicans, exposing divisions between the Make America Healthy Again movement and traditional agricultural interests.
The five-year measure, approved on a mostly party-line vote of 224-200, would boost subsidies for farmers while enacting significant cuts to food assistance programs for low-income families. Three Republicans voted against the bill, while 14 Democrats crossed party lines to support it.
The big picture: Traditionally a bipartisan effort renewed every five years, the farm bill has become increasingly polarized in recent years. The last farm bill, approved in 2018, expired in 2023 as a divided Congress failed to reach an agreement despite mounting pressure from agricultural groups and Trump for updated policies.
- Even with unified control in Washington, Republicans have struggled to pass a farm bill and provide relief for rural voters and farmers facing tariffs and inflation. The Senate, where Republicans will need Democratic support to advance the bill, is expected to either take up the House measure or propose a separate version.
- The legislation keeps in place major changes made under Trump’s tax and domestic policy law, including a $187 billion reduction to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and a $60 billion increase in farm subsidies. The bill also extends funding for conservation, agricultural research and rural development programs.
Battle lines on the floor: Supporters of the Make America Healthy Again movement secured victories by removing a provision that would have prevented states from requiring warning labels on pesticides and by allowing SNAP recipients to purchase hot rotisserie chicken.
- However, efforts to prohibit SNAP recipients from buying soda were unsuccessful.
- Debate over pesticide labeling, animal welfare regulations and ethanol mandates highlighted rifts between MAHA supporters and traditional farm-state lawmakers, as well as tensions between representatives of corn- and oil-producing states.
- A prolonged dispute over a measure to allow year-round sale of an ethanol blend known as E15 nearly derailed the bill. The provision, championed by lawmakers from corn-producing districts and the Trump administration as a way to lower fuel costs, was opposed by small oil refineries and deficit hawks. Lawmakers ultimately agreed to remove the measure from the bill and consider it separately later in the spring.
- Another flashpoint involved the “Save Our Bacon Act,” a provision that would stop states from regulating livestock production practices in other states. The measure, supported by the pork industry after the Supreme Court upheld a California law requiring minimum space for livestock, drew bipartisan opposition, but Republican leaders kept it in the bill.
What they’re saying: “As the sole dairy farmer in Congress and a new member of the House Committee on Agriculture, I was proud to vote in favor of the Farm Bill,” said Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford). “This bipartisan bill delivers real wins for the Central Valley, including addressing rising production costs and expanding technical assistance for dairy producers, while also improving crop insurance and disaster assistance for our specialty crop growers. It also invests in rural infrastructure and wildfire prevention to better protect our communities and natural resources. I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to get this bill across the finish line to provide the certainty our farmers, ranchers, and producers are counting on.”
- “Food security is national security, and the Farm Bill is one of the most consequential pieces of legislation Congress works on because it determines how we put food on America’s dinner tables,” Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno) said in a statement. “After three years of delays, I’m glad the House has finally made substantive progress but there is still more work to do. We must ensure the provisions that support American families, farmers, and producers remain while continuing to improve this bill in the Senate. I will keep working across the aisle to reverse harmful cuts to nutrition programs because in the richest country in the world, children, veterans, seniors, and working families should never be left wondering how they will put food on the table.”
- “California’s fresh fruit growers and shippers rely on strong federal support to remain competitive and sustainable,” said Casey Creamer, President of California’s Fresh Fruit Association. “The passage of the Farm Bill ensures continued investment in programs that protect our commodities, expand market opportunities, and strengthen the future of American agriculture. CFFA is proud to be a member of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, which has played a vital role in advancing key priorities for our industry. We look forward to continuing our work with Senate leadership and remain hopeful that a final Farm Bill will be signed into law this year.”
- Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Penn.), chairman of the Agriculture Committee, called the bill “a win for our farmers, ranchers, foresters, rural communities, and all Americans across our country,” on social media following the vote.
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