Washington, D.C. (RI) — The U.S. House Agriculture Committee has passed an 800‑page Farm Bill that would set federal rules and spending levels for agriculture and food assistance programs for the next five years.
The 2018 Farm Bill expired in 2023, but congress could not agree on a new version, so it approved extensions, and some program updates were included in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” President Trump signed last summer.
Democrats say the Farm Bill that’s proposed is flawed because it does not include changes in U.S. tariff policies or make year-round E15 sales a federal policy. The House Ag Committee’s Republican chairman says those decisions are outside of the committee’s jurisdiction.
Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull who’s been leading negotiations on a separate E15 bill, says it’s unreasonable for Democrats to demand that those items be included in the Farm Bill.
Feenstra is a member of the House Ag Committee.
Iowa Congressman Zach Nunn, a Republican from Ankeny, is on the panel, too, and he says the Farm Bill that cleared the committee Thursday will provide certainty to the farming community.
Seven Democrats joined Republicans on the committee to advance the Farm Bill, making it eligible for debate in the U.S. House.
The proposed Farm Bill includes a provision that has been introduced in the Iowa legislature. It would shield pesticide manufacturers that follow EPA labelling guidelines from lawsuits alleging the chemicals cause cancer.
KIWA Staff Photo
