House Majority's Farm Bill Leaves Farmers Behind

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Agriculture Committee majority released draft text for a 2026 Farm Bill last week. The proposal comes as farmers are already reeling from the reckless and destabilizing impacts of recent Trump administration policies  — including a USDA freeze on signed conservation contracts that pulled the rug out from farmers who had already done the work, a hollowed-out USDA workforce unable to help farmers, and the continued disappearance of family farms.

The following is a statement from Rebecca Riley, Managing Director for Food & Agriculture at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

“Farmers are facing rising costs, unstable markets, and intensifying climate pressures. Instead of focusing on those realities, the House majority has drafted a Farm Bill that would roll back conservation investments, environmental safeguards, pesticide protections, and programs that help farmers lower their energy bills and invest in affordable, reliable clean energy. That is not how you build a durable farm economy. 

“The House Agriculture Committee must get back to the bipartisan negotiating table and produce a Farm Bill that truly meets this moment.”

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).