When it comes to getting a new farm bill done in 2025, U.S. farmers might have to settle for the farm bill provisions passed in the One Big Beautiful Bill.
Despite the renewed push from farm groups and both House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders to get a comprehensive or even a skinny farm bill done yet in 2025, some Washington insiders are doubtful it can get passed this year or even next year.
The House and Senate Ag Committees are planning to work on language yet this fall on a Farm bill 2.0., but at least one Washington ag lobbyist thinks it will be difficult to get passed.
Jay Truitt, principal with Policy Solutions in Washington, D.C., expects objections to the high price tag by those outside of agriculture.
Cost is the Sticking Point
“They’re still asking why it costs so much ... they don’t understand not all the programs are permanent, and even the programs that are permanent are way different than what permanent law reads,” he says. “People don’t really get that outside of ag — they just see the big numbers.”
Truitt says there will be party line battles as well over the remaining farm bill titles, the biggest being nutrition, which accounts for over 80% of farm bill expenditures.
“We’re going to have a fight over SNAP versus program dollars for agriculture research and market development,” he explains.
Farm Aid Inclusion Could Further Stall a New Farm Bill
Plys, what if the agriculture committees try to include farm aid?
In 2019, the Market Facilitation Program cost $23 billion. Truitt says any dollar amount at or above that level in the farm bill would be scrutinized by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
“To do a farm bill and to do an aid package that deals with how China has disrupted trade all over the world, especially in grains and oil seeds, that’s a bridge too far,” he speculates.
Where Could Farm Aid Funding Come From?
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told RFD-TV this week USDA is releasing another $13 billion of aid payments in the next six to eight weeks, as part of the $30 billion Congress passed for disaster and market assistance.
However, as far as additional farm aid payments to compensate for the trade war with China, Truitt says Rollins would need to take that out of the Commodity Credit Corporation.
The other option that has been suggested to fund payments, such as the $23 billion producers saw in 2019 as part of the Market Facilitation Program (MFP), is tariff revenues.
But Truitt says the agriculture secretary doesn’t have discretion to use those dollars.
“She can’t just reach over into the general revenue pot and spend that money without Congress giving her some authority somehow,” he adds.
If aid is included in a skinny farm bill, the fight could get drug out even longer. That’s why Truitt thinks Congress will have difficulty passing the legislation next year, and the debate could even get pushed into 2027.
