To consider H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026

Well, good evening everybody. Before I gavel in, if you'd allow me, uh I just wanna offer offer a little prayer, uh over our members and our and the proceedings that that uh were engaged in here. Most heavenly Father, we we thank you for your protections and your guidance, Lord. Uh Uh this evening we we lift up with mournful hearts um uh our friend uh Douglas Alpha and uh Lord we take comfort in the fact that he was a man of God and a man of strong faith, and we know that he is in your loving arms. We pray for his family. Uh we lift up um the the Jackson family and Jonathan and his family with uh the loss of his father um and um we we we just we also lift up um the Baird family and uh lift up Doctor Baird with uh uh the passing away of his wife uh this in the last couple days um and be with you know Lord be with them, be with all those families and provide them comfort uh during the difficult times. Lord we uh we lift up our our uh the folks in this country that uh provide us food and fiber and energy. Uh the American farmer and rancher uh we uh We know they're struggling, we know they're having some difficult times. Uh, Lord, I lift up, uh, every member of of this committee. Um, your your scripture says, uh, you know our prayers before we speak them, and I just, uh, ask that you, you know, minister to each one, whatever those needs might be. Um, and provide us, uh, discernment, um, as we, um, engage in, um, the incredible work of uh as members of the agriculture committee of really being stewards of of um of what you have provided us through through agriculture and I pray all this in the name of uh my savior Jesus Christ amen.

Amen. Amen.

All right here we go. Uh the meeting will come to order we're meeting today to consider H R seventy five sixty seven the food farm and national security act of two thousand twenty six I note that a quorum is present and that each member has before them copies of the material on our agenda today at their place on the rostrum. Without objection, the chair may recess the committee subject to the call of the chair at any point during this meeting. I now recognize myself for an opening statement. Uh, good evening everyone. Uh, today we will consider the Farm Food and National Security Act of two thousand twenty six. I appreciate all of you for your flexibility and dedication in rescheduling this mark up after last week's bad weather. Before we begin, um, once again I want to acknowledge the empty seat in the room. Uh, Mister Douglas Malfa was a staunch advocate for agriculture and a dear friend, and his presence today is dearly missed. I also want to thank Mister Newhouse uh, for stepping up as our new chair for the subcommittee on forestry and horticulture. I would also like to say send my uh uh sincere condolences to Congressman Baird the untimely passing of his wife Denise. Uh Jim our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. And I would be remiss if I didn't recognize the passing of the father of a great member of this committee uh Jonathan Jackson uh whose father was a civil rights um leader, Reverend Jesse Jackson. Uh j- uh Jonathan, uh Penny and I lift you and your family up in prayer for the loss of your father. The importance of what we're doing today as a committee cannot be overstated. It is clear that the policies of two thousand eighteen are no match for the true cha- for the challenges of two thousand twenty six. And an update to the two thousand eighteen farm bill is long overdue. The bill we're delivering today didn't spontaneously appear in the halls of Congress. It was formed in the fields, pastures and town halls of our country. We visited forty-three states and one territory, probably over a hundred and fifty different listening sessions altogether. uh out um while crafting the new farm bill and every provision is directly informed by what we learned from our stakeholders. This is evident by the overwhelming support this legislation has received from the broad stakeholder community. To date over two hundred organizations have come out in support of this bill. The Farm Food and National Security Act two thousand twenty six is very similar to its name sake in two thousand twenty four with key updates for two thousand twenty six. The provisions span across all twelve titles of the farm bill and build on the historic agriculture investments including the working families tax cuts this past summer. This bill restores regulatory certainty in the interstate marketplace, expands investments in rural communities, and brings science-based backed management back to our national forests. Farm bill programs will improve risk management tools for specialty crop producers, low energy costs in rural America and prioritize American commodities on the global stage. Importantly, the new farm bill will also expand producers' access to credit, promote new technologies like precision agriculture and enhance conservation programs for working lands. Most of all, this is a practical farm bill that provides real and workable solutions. It is inspired by a hundred and forty-nine bipartisan marker bills, this in addition to the many bipartisan priorities included, and a farm bill that didn't have formal marker bills filed. And I'm proud of the input and contribution to this bill for members on both sides of the aisle. Since releasing the text of this legislation um well this legislation has been mischaracterized in the press at times. Um and one of the most common misconceptions is related to the nutrition title, so I'd like to clear up any confusion about that now. Several investments across nutrition programs in two thousand twenty four bill We're not able to be included in this bill due to budgetary constraints and the inability to have bipartisan dialogue on offsets. This includes several of my priorities, including exemptions earned from employment and training programs and and from uh uh adult children in the household from counting towards SNAP eligibility. We also were not able to restore access to SNAP for certain formerly incarcerated individuals. Other provisions left out included crucial changes to strengthen program integrity and snap. Unfortunately, it was formed that none of these provisions were a priority of the ranking member and and that's why the bill before us today is different than a bill two years ago and while we've not abandoned these priorities, more work is needed to ensure these investments are responsibly funded. It is irresponsible to move forward a bill that increases mandatory spending with no offsets. Also need to address the recent misguided reporting on conservation funding. Let me be clear, there are no cuts to the conservation title. That anyone saying otherwise is improperly analyzing the CBO score. Through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, Republicans provide a historic investment into the permanent baseline of the conservation programs, an approximately twenty-four percent increase to the baseline. Legislation before you con contains an increase across the board in conservation funding compared to the F- Farm Food and National Security Act of two thousand twenty-four and the two thousand eighteen farm bill. While we were limited in the reconciliation process, this proposal includes the bipartisan policy improvements to assist beginning farmers advance soil health initiatives, protect private forest lands, and fund advancements in conservation technology. This title is widely supported by farmers, ranchers, foresters, sportsmen, and the environmental community. There's a lot of good being done here in this bill across all twelve titles. And for the good of the people we represent, I encourage all of you to vote based on what is in the bill, instead of based on what is not in the bill. Um, uh, you know, the ranking members denounce this bill because it doesn't contain year-round, E fifteen, doesn't provide uh, emergency assistance for farmers, and doesn't change the tariff policy. I'm very supportive of all three of those things, it's just not our jurisdiction. Um, if we were to broach those topics, we we would need to be not the Agriculture Committee, but Energy and Commerce. Appropriations and ultimately Ways and Means Committee, and those are items outside of our jurisdiction. Not that I wouldn't like to see them get done uh in this Congress. Throughout the creation of this farm bill was an open and honest process. My door was open to anyone who had practical actionable items for improving ag policy. Every member was given the opportunity to provide input, and if I didn't receive your priorities that comes down um to a breakdown uh in party leadership. However, this weather display has been a blessing in disguise after hearing claims from over uh three hundred Democratic priorities um that were not brought forward I was shocked and when my outreach to identify this list uh was ignored I took action so over the last week I've been able to work individually with many of my Democratic colleagues to hear priorities that were not communicated to me over the last eight months of negotiations. I believe your dialogue will be fruitful for our process today if you are disappointed a priority is not addressed in the text, please know that I understand, as the bill is missing many of my priorities as well. But we must not let perfect be the enemy of good. Uh, today I hope the committee will work its will to improve this legislation and incorporate additional feedback from the many voices we represent. Members on both sides will offer amendments with policies I support. However, I will reluctantly have to oppose to any proposal that is not additive to the process and violates my goal of a bipartisan cost neutral farm bill. Today is a step forward among many more to come. I commit to work with everyone who approaches the table in good faith, and I'll as I have always done, as we make the moment for our farmers, ranchers, foresters and consumers. Again, thank you all for your work and engagement thus far. Our farmers, ranchers and rural communities are relying on us to step up and advocate for them, as we work through twelve the twelve titles of this bill. Now recognized distinguished ranking member, the gentlelady from Minnesota,

Mister Chairman, before I begin my opening remarks, I'd like to take a moment as well to acknowledge the unfortunate and tragic tragic loss this committee and its members have experienced in recent weeks. Doug LaMoffa, who is no longer with us but will always be with us, Jim Baird is attending of course to his family due to the recent passing of his wife Denise, Jonathan Jackson, whose father, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, also died recently. My heart and the minority committee, uh our heart goes out to them and their families. I'd also like to take a moment to acknowledge the brave men and women of the US armed forces currently in harm's way and the six who have already tragically lost their lives in the war with Iran. Mister Chairman, as we consider this legislation, it's important for us to stay take stock of where we are today. And um I just wanna say I'm not gonna get in a rebuttal uh of process here, uh but ten percent of our priorities that were handed to you were actually included uh into this bill and over the last several weeks instead of coming to committee staff or myself your committee has gone straight to our members for some of those priorities we gave to you months ago to try to cut a deal to get them to support an absolutely flawed farm bill. So, we don't need to get into it this early, uh, into a farm bill mark-up, but I think perhaps your committee staff and the fact that they never actually handed us this text in this entire process we saw at the night before the public did and only because I complained publicly about seeing it at the very same time tells everyone what this is, it has not been a bipartisan process. So with that, I wanna start by saying when you talk to farmers or farm groups, people who buy groceries, or nutrition groups, the message we hear everywhere is the same. American ag and rural communities are hurting. Despite the administration's claims, all is not well in farm country. Commodity prices are well below the cost of production, farm incomes are declining, Input costs remain high and farm bankruptcies are up forty-six percent over last year. Americans of all walks of life are facing an affordability crisis, and much of this is the result of economic and trade policies enacted by this administration and enabled by Republicans in this Congress. Mister Chairman, it didn't have to be this way. Uh, the Republicans could have rejected the administration's global trade war. that's devastated family farms and businesses across the country for the past year. The Supreme Court has now affirmed what we already knew, Congress, not the President, has the authority to levy tariffs. The President's trade war has been illegal this entire time and Republicans have given up their power. Our Republican colleagues should have fought to expand domestic markets, not allow our largest trade partners to be pushed into the arms of our biggest, agriculture, competitors. And Republicans should have worked with Democrats to pass a five-year, twelve-title farm bill. Instead, we are here to mark up a so-called skinny farm bill, the last pieces of the jigsaw puzzle of a farm bill. It didn't have to be this way. There are many policies this Congress could undertake to fix what bad policy and partisanship have caused. Despite making massive cuts to title four in the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, and extending and modifying additional farm programs outside the regular process, Democrats entered into good faith negotiations with the majority. It was my sincere hope that we could agree on what we could agree on, and leave out the more controversial elements of this bill that present issues for support for both some Democrats and Republicans. Today, we could move forward with the Farm and Family Relief Act. Today, we could pass year-round E-fifteen. Today, we could amend and remove the poison pills in this bill. Sadly, Republicans seem determined to continue down the partisan path, which leads us to the bill before us today, and that we are about to mark up. To be fair, there are some bipartisan provisions in this bill which I appreciate because I led efforts on them. Codifying the Reconnect program to expand broadband access for rural Americans. making crop insurance more affordable and accessible for our veterans, and the PACE Act to improve credit and increase USDA loan limits. But despite those bipartisan elements of this bill, it represents a missed opportunity to address the most pressing challenges that our family farmers and our families are facing. And it contains those provisions that we know many Democrats will not support. record that many Republicans are hearing from the Maha community about as well. This bill will not restore lost export markets or lower input cost. It doesn't help American children, seniors and veterans afford their groceries or states and counties avoid an unfunded mandate that we this body Republican-led body sh- uh shifted those snap costs to them. The bill ignores hemp farmers in Minnesota and elsewhere. who followed the law and innovated in a new marketplace and whose entire supply chains and businesses are now under threat. It rolls back provisions from the twenty twenty four farm bill that provide tribes with more access to USDA programs. My sincere hope is that the Senate will provide us a product that better meets the needs of the American farmer and rural communities, and that in the end we can get a bipartisan product

The gentleman yields back. The bill H R seventy five sixty seven, the Farm Food and National Security Act of two thousand twenty six is now before the committee for consideration. Without objection, a first reading of the bill will be waived and it will be open for an amendment on a title-by-title basis and after that for amendment at any point. I'd like to remind members that only amendments germane to the subject matter before us today, shall be in order. No motion or pro uh proposition on a subject different than that under consideration shall be submitted under the color of amendment. Pursuant to Committee Rule three I and House Rule eleven Clause two, the Chair may popo postpone Further proceedings today on the question of approving any measure or matter or adopting an amendment which is recorded which a recorded vote is ordered. And without objection we will vote on amendments using an electronic voting system. I now recognize myself to offer a manager's amendment to HR seventy five sixty seven, which is that each member's spot on the rostrum. Uh this this amendment includes amendments that are technical in nature or to address scoring implications without objection the reading of the amendment is waived as i- any member wish to speak on the manager's amendment. Off to a good start saying none. Um uh uh the question is now on the manager's amendment. All in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye. Aye.

Aye. Opposed by saying no.

No.

In in the opinion of the chair the ayes have it and the manager's amendment is agreed to. Um. Moving on to general debate, any member who wishes who wishes to speak on the bill will be recognized under the five minute rule. Do members have remarks on the bill?

Yes, Chairman.

Gentleman from Oklahoma is recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I wanna take a moment and reflect on just how important the farm bill process is to our constituents and the American people. Just two weeks ago, massive wildfires ripped through western Oklahoma. And up into Kansas, hundreds of thousands of acres were burned, homes, community centers were destroyed, and first responders in my district were injured on the job. It was truly devastating. But this is certainly not the first time a disaster of this magnitude has occurred in Oklahoma. And I know I'm not the only member here whose district has been devastated by wildfires or other natural disasters. But events like these serve as a reminder to us that the programs we get to review in the farm bill discussions matter in more ways than we often realize. The permanent livestock uh program, like LIP and uh LFP provide financial relief to producers who experience livestock and pasture losses through no fault of their own. Without these programs, producers would suffer undue economic hardship when they need assistance the most. However, we have an opportunity today to vote for a bill that goes much farther than just disaster recovery. The bill before us is eight hundred and two pages of policy that is aimed at making life better back home. To name a few provisions among many, this bill reauthorizes a suite of critical research, rural development and credit programs that will invest in our communities and create rural resiliency for decades to come. This bill also focuses on expanding and investing into market access programs of borrowed. And it ensures that voluntary conservation programs continue to reflect the needs of producers. The bottom line is, all of these programs under review today make a difference. I want everyone in this room and those who are listening online to be reminded just how much this bill will impact you, your neighbors. and our friends across the country. I've had the honor of serving on this committee since May of nineteen ninety four, and since then I've authored one farm bill and parts of four others. I've sat through a total of eight mark-ups, and I've endured sweet victories and some very painful losses. So I know firsthand that the journey we have before us will not be easy, but it will certainly be worthwhile. I thank the Chairman, for bringing forth this bill today, and I look forward to getting it across the finish line. And with that, I yield back, Mr. Chairman.

Gentleman yields back, and I'll recognize uh Congressman David Scott for five minutes.

Well, thank you. Thank you, lady. Thank you, Chairman Thompson. First of all, it's absolutely crucial that our committee pass a foreign bill that h- first of all helps our farmers. Our farmers is suffering and also provides stability and ensures food security for our great nation. However, as written, I believe this bill fails on both. Our administration's disastrous trade policies are causing a farm crisis. Reclam terrorists have resulted in multiple trade wars and a staggering loss of international market. Buyers have already abandoned our American farmers, and instead they've turned to our competitors like Brazil and Argentina. Unfortunately, this bill does not provide additional economic assistance for our farmers, for our producers who were hurt the most by these tariffs. And further, the bill continues the majority's attacks on federal nutrition programs, like SNAP. Ladies and gentlemen, last year, Republicans cut one hundred and eighty-seven billion dollars in funding from SNAP, the single largest cut to a nutrition's assistance program in American history. However, instead of retur- storing the hundred and eighty-seven million dollars in SNAP, cuts passed in H.R. one, this farm bill removes positive investments, including in the house twenty twenty four farm bill. And at a time when families are facing higher prices at the grocery store, the bill eliminates increased funding for the emergency foodist program and Gusnip. And Lord knows I'm extremely disappointed that this farm bill does not make our history making eighteen nineties student scholarship program permanent. Ladies and gentlemen, the eighteen ninety land grant colleges and university are an important part of the history of our great nation. Let me tell you, this scholarship fund is an incredible example of what we Democrats and Republicans can achieve through bipartisanship. You all were here and when we created the amendment to make the scholarship program permanent and to increase the funding and since it was created in twenty eighteen the eighteen ninety scholarships have helped African American students earn degrees and begin their degrees in agriculture and food sciences. It is crucial that we ensure that this program goes into the future. It is the greatest example of black members of Congress, white members of Congress, Republican members of Congress, Democrats uh members of coming, doing one of the greatest achievement in the history. It tells the greatness of our nation. When William DeCompso Sherman tore up the South, he said, went to President Lincoln and said, " We got to restore it." And William de Compst Sherman and President Lincoln got together and they established the state colleges. But in the eighteen nineties separate but equal came and everywhere in the south they had put a white college, they put a black one. That is what we have here. Now, I also wanna thank Oh, you and this committee. President um Trump endorsed it. And I hope, Chairman, uh you and maybe some of my Republican friends will give me an opportunity to speak with the president, thank him, but he always talks about the work he's done on this bill.

Mm.

We gotta get it done.

Thank you.

The gentleman's time has expired now recognize the other gentleman from Georgia Mr. Austin Scott for five minutes.

Thank you, Mister Chairman, and um I wanna thank you for your work on H R one, which included some historic wins for American farmers. Uh and I wanna highlight a few of those wins. The committee achieved the first meaningful investments of the farm safety net since two thousand and two in H R one. These investments were long past due and necessary to help producers respond to increased cost of equipment fertilizer and fuel. Through H R one we increased reference prices between ten and twenty percent, and we enhanced the agricultural risk coverage program, authorized thirty million new base acres, and made a six billion dollar investment in crop insurance. With H R one, we're able to extend a much needed helping hand to the American farmer. Now here's how this additional language will help. Credit. As we've seen in the last five years, higher interest rates have driven up borrowing costs and narrow production margins for producers around the country. In the credit title, we enhance financing options for producers through updates to loan limits, expanding access to ensuring faster turn-around times. We support beginning, young, and small farmers by streamlining access and cutting red tape. We reauthorize and improve the heirs' property relending program based on my colleague from Georgia Representative Sanford Bishop's Bill, the Heirs' Act. Uh, we create an expanded approval program that streamlines access to capital which includes provisions from uh a bill that I authored, H R seventy-four seventy-five, that addresses the bridge loan gap that was highlighted during representative David's and my subcommittee hearing on financing farm operations in July. Uh we have a lot of specialty crop wins. As you know, specialty crop producers have been a historically underserved group due to challenges in developing a specialty crop safety net. Through the establishment of a specialty crop advisory committee, and the specialty crop coordinator, this farm bill will help address the gaps in the safety net and enhance the effectiveness of programs as well as improve and expand insurance program for our specialty crop producers I also want to mention the rated used therapeutic foods I'd like to mention a letter from the American peanut, dairy, and soy producers thanking the committee for the inclusion of language that advances the use and procurement of American made rated used therapeutic foods also known as RUTF. This provision allows us to continue saving the lives of children around the world while supporting American jobs and American growers. I've seen firsthand the critical role RUTF plays in addressing global malnutrition, and I am proud to have MANA, one of the leading suppliers of this nutrition in my district. They are the largest RUTF manufacturer in the United States of America. I wanna talk about the bipartisanship of this bill, specifically titles one, five, and eleven. Some on the other side of the aisle have called this bill partisan. They've said it's full of poison pills. I wanna set the record straight for the Americans that are watching this. My subcommittee, the subcommittee I'm privileged to chair, the General Farm Commodities Risk Management and Credit subcommittee works on titles one, five, and eleven. Title one, commodities, includes language from five bipartisan bills and no partisan bills. Title five, credit. includes language from eight bipartisan bills. Title eleven, crop insurance, includes language from four bipartisan bills. Now unlike what some Democrats would have you believe, this bipartisanship continues throughout the rest of the titles. This may go down for people who actually look at the facts as the most bipartisan farm bill ever. And, Mister Chairman, I'm committed to work with anybody who will work in good faith. as I know you are to include additional provisions in this bill. I wanna thank you for your leadership, Chairman Thompson. I wanna thank you for uh the work you did in H R one and I want you to know that I look forward to working with you to carry this bill the rest of the way across the floor and have it signed into the law. And with that, Mister Chairman, I yield the remainder of my time.

The gentleman yields back. Now please recognize the gentleman from California Mister Costa, for five minutes.

Thank you very much, Mister Chairman, members of the committee, I wanna associate my comments with the uh chair and the ranking member. For the families of La Mafa, uh Baird and Jackson's, uh we we mourn in their losses and pray for them. Uh and the men and women who are serving in harm's way um during this action of war. Um let me begin by saying that folks are hurting in farm country. As a third generation farmer, I can tell you every uh week I go home and I interact with my farm community, and times are tough and bankruptcies are up. And normally, I think most of you I would hope know that I'm enthusiastic. I try to be enthusiastic about American agriculture. Um, but I'm not enthusiastic about this market. I can't help but restate that the damage that has been done, I think, over this last year to our democracy under this administration, includes a failed tariff strategy, taking away SNAP, and demolishing agencies dedicated to diplomacy like USAID and other humanitarian efforts, just to name a few. It's unfortunate that we have to be in this room less than a year to debate whether it's right to cut programs to ensure Americans have access to food, people who are food insecure. It's not right, Mr. Chairman. We must restore regular order and think that that's part of America's safety net. Campound doing this ill-advised reorganization that is happening with the United States Department of Agriculture, and yet we have not had one single oversight hearing to receive, and I am receiving calls with regards to farm service agency offices that are not fully opened or staffed or even closed as to this writing, the USDA to urge them to make sure that they remain open. This is a vital link, a lifeline for our ag op- uh com- communities to foreign programs. It's our job today, I think, that we sit here and debate the pros and cons of this bill that sits before us. With the recent Supreme Court ruling on tariffs, Congress must not continue to abdicate its role as a co-equal branch of government. It's time that stops. Congress has the power of the purse, which is why we must restore the SNAP funding that was cut and provide resources, not only to our farmers, our ranchers, dairymen and women that desperately are in need. In my district, California's twenty-first. It's the number one SNAP district in California, with nearly thirty percent of the households participate in an interesting dichotomy in credible agricultural production but in a lot of people who are food insecure. And and therefore, it's imp- important to note that through the entire state there's five point five million people in California that rely on SNAP as a part of their safety net. Think about that. As always I said, food is a national security issue and we must look at each title as a foundation to American's production of food and fiber. It's imperative that we find a path forward to restore the food safety nob- no- net programs along with the commodity programs and it's the glue that has kept the farm built together since nineteen seventy-three whether we can put that toothpaste back in the tube remains to be seen it's also America's safety net in the state of California, our farmers and ranchers Dairymen and women are produce half the nation's fruits and vegetables. Twenty percent of our dairy production in the country comes from California. Eighty percent of the citrus production. Specialty crops clearly is California leading with over four hundred different commodities. We produced last year sixty-one and a half billion dollars at the farm gate, and over twenty-four billion was exported. These tariffs are hurting our farmers throughout the country. And I cannot comprehend how it is a plan in this United States Department of Organi- Reorganization plan that we relocate DC-based staff to five regional hubs, five regional hubs, yet not one of those hubs includes California, the number one agricultural state in the nation, the top ag exporting state in the nation, and the top nation uh recipients of SNAP. Give me a break. Madam Secretary of Agriculture, come before this committee and justify your reorganization effort and explain to us what the purpose and what the efficiencies will achieve. I'm at a loss. I would like to submit for the record, Mister Chairman, two letters that I've submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture to come and explain what her reorganization plan's all about.

Without objection.

Thank you. Um, let me close by saying that um um it's imperative that we try to work together. Uh, this is my fourth farm bill. And I think we have to try to find a path forward over the next several months. between efforts that are going on in the Senate and and I think uh some of the some of the land mines that we have in this bill here are some people call poison pills, hopefully will be worked out. It's my intent to continue to try to work on a bipartisan effort so that we can sustain the agriculture economy in America which is food is a national security issue. And I yield back the balance of my time. Thank you.

Uh, and gentlemen's time has expired, now recognize gentlemen from Arkansas Mr. Crawford for five minutes.

Thank you, Mister Chairman, for the sake of time I've uploaded my opening statement to YouTube page. I'm gonna encourage my colleagues to go and look at it. It's awesome. And I support the bill and encourage my colleagues to do the same. Yield back.

OK.

Gentleman yields back. And I'll be sure to check that out.

All right.

Now now please recognize the gentleman from Massachusetts, Mister McGovern, for five minutes.

Well thank you, Mister Chairman, um and I want to speak directly to the MAHA movement. to the millions of Americans who voted to make America healthy again. I'm a Democrat, I know we don't agree on everything, but I think we share some common ground, because I share your outrage. I think it is wrong that ultra-processed junk is cheaper than fresh food. And I'm sick and tired of big ag profiting off pesticides, while small family farms get squeezed out of business. I'm disgusted by corporations pumping toxins into our air and water. Chronic disease and cancer are skyrocketing while our government cheers them on. And I believe the direction this farm bill is going, the direction this country is going, under Republican leadership, is a betrayal of MAHA. I can point to example after example. PFAS, toxic forever chemicals, they're linked to endocrine disruption, decreased fertility, lower sperm counts. I've been working on eliminating PFAS for years after my constituents got cancer, from PFAS in his firefighting gear. Maha moms and influencers thankfully helped propel PFAS into public debate. And instead of siding with Maha, uh what did this administration do? They delayed setting limits for PFAS in our drinking water. Who knows why? Maybe ask the chemical companies. A lot of people don't know this, but a lot of pesticides have PFAS in them. How about how about glyphosate? For years, many of us have been sounding the alarm. It's another toxic chemical sprayed on our food. It's the main ingredient in Roundup. There's dozens of class action lawsuits because we now know that for decades, chemical companies hid the fact that Roundup causes cancer. Again, many in Maaha have rightly spoken out. So can a single Republican on this committee tell me why Donald Trump issued an executive order? to expand production of glyphosate. And now, big surprise, we have a farm bill that doubles down. This bill grants corporate immunity to the chemical companies. Look it up, title ten, section ten two O five. Section ten two O six goes on to prevent localities from regulating pesticides. Section ten two O seven allows more toxic chemicals to be dumped into our water. Section after section of this bill, one give away after another to the pesticide companies. What lobbyist asked for this? Was that drafted in in in in the in the Monsanto boardroom or something? Follow the money, follow the money. Big ag and chemical companies are two sides of the same coin, all part of the same corrupt machine. One makes the chemicals, the other profits from driving family farms out of business. Both sides buy off politicians and both sides profit when the rules are rigged against the little guys. And that's exactly what this farm bill does. The chemical giveaways are tied at the hip to a larger more structural problem with this farm bill. It does nothing to improve our food system. Now let's move on to nutrition because I have limited time here. Seniors who take pills on an empty stomach wind up in the emergency room. Working people who can't afford to buy healthy food end up with chronic disease. Kids who are hungry don't learn. So clearly, clearly hunger and health are intricately linked, which is common sense. You can't be healthy if you're hungry. But this firm bill, instead of addressing our hunger crisis in this country, forty-two million Americans who can't afford food, this bill makes the crisis worse. Last year, Republicans made the largest cut to nutrition assistance in American history. Veterans, family with teens, seniors, people aging out of foster care, all kicked off food assistance. In Massachusetts, thousands of people are losing access to food this month because Republicans took their food assistance away in order to give billionaires another tax break. And by the way, when it comes to students, I've introduced a bill to boost school meal reimbursement rates. That would mean more scratch cooked meals, more local foods, and our cafeterias. Not a single Republican will cosponsor it. Your farm bill rewards the same broken system that made America sick in the first place. Your farm bill empowers big ag and enables them to keep dumping toxins in our food. Your farm bill tells local farmers to get big or get out. Your farm bill makes food less healthy and more expensive. In short, your farm bill is a betrayal of maha. Now I'm not here to pretend Democrats are perfect on every issue, but when it comes to standing up against big ag and chemical companies, combating hunger, and fighting for healthier food, we are a hell of a lot better on these issues, a hell of a lot better. This farm bill is corporate control with a wellness label slapped on top. And to be blunt, it sucks. And the pesticide loopholes, and the cuts to nutrition assistance, and oppose this Republican farm bill,

Gentlemen, time is expired.

it's a blank check to those who wanna protect the

Now, now recognize the

broken status quo and none of us should be complicit.

Gentlemen, it's time to expire,

I yield back.

uh now recognize the gentleman from North Carolina, Mister Rausser, for five minutes.

Thank you, uh, Mister Chairman, and I I wanna thank you for your leadership. Uh, I wanna thank the staff, uh, for all their work. Uh, there's no question agriculture, uh, is suffering, uh, some dire times. No question about that whatsoever. And this bill holistically addresses every issue you could possibly address, uh, to rectify that situation, other than the issues outside the jurisdiction of the committee. And so I commend you for that. And um you know some of our uh friends on the other side of the aisle, uh at least based on what I've heard so far, uh none of my growers uh would agree with all that. And in fact, I've got a letter here from the North Carolina Farm Bureau, uh strongly supporting passage of this farm bill that I'd like to include for the record. And with that, I will yield back.

Without objection. Gentleman yields back. Now I'll recognize uh General Leidy, Doctor Adams.

Thank you, Mister Chairman, and uh before I begin my comments, I do want to uh express my concern for uh the um uh and sympathy to to all of our members and those who have suffered and I thank those of you who have expressed concern regarding the loss of my sister, I'm just returning uh from New Jersey, but thank you very much. Mister Chairman, I've been talking with farmers and families across my district and what I'm hearing is concerning. Farmers are facing a lot of uncertainty. Markets are swinging up and down, the cost of fertilizer, fuel and equipment keeps rising. Trade policies have disrupted export markets they spent years building. Economists warn that costs are climbing. Crop prices are weak and more farms are going bankrupt, which is not exactly the golden age that was promised. The numbers are stark. Farm bankruptcies rose forty-six percent in twenty twenty five. USDA says fifteen thousand farms were lost last year alone. In Pennsylvania, there were ten farm bankruptcies in twenty twenty five up from just two in twenty twenty four. Those aren't just numbers. They're family farms shutting down, generations of hard work coming to an end, and communities losing part of their foundation. As US farmers struggles, struggle with with shrinking export, markets. Competitors like Brazil and Argentina have strengthened their foothold, a- aided by US bailout initiatives. Market share bills over decades have been lost, and this bill does nothing to help farmers win it back. Right now, farmers are sitting across the table from their bankers trying to secure loans for for the next planting season. They're making big decisions in an unstable environment. The administration's bailout is not enough, and repeated bailouts are a sign that the underlying system is broken. To make it even more unstable, after the Supreme Court struck down Trump's tariffs last month, he immediately said he was going to impose at ten percent global tariff, then said he it would be fifteen percent. And then there was the one hundred and seventy-five billion dollar question. unanswered. What's going to happen to the money the government has already collected in import taxes now declared unlawful? Farm groups have been clear. They need steady, reliable support. And this bill doesn't provide it. And it's just not farmers who are struggling. Families feel it every time they go to the grocery store. In my district, the average monthly grocery bill is now over a thousand dollars, the cost of fruits and vegetables alone. has gone up more than five percent. Wages aren't keeping up and more families are falling behind. Yet this bill doesn't offer offer meaningful help to working families, to seniors, to veterans or people with disabilities trying to afford basic food. But we shouldn't be surprised. Over the summer, Republicans cut snap by a hundred and eighty-seven billion dollars and shifted more of the costs onto states and counties that are already stretched thin. Governors and state lawmakers, Democrats and Republicans are scrambling to figure out how to keep people fed. After twenty years in the General Assembly of North Carolina, I can tell you that states cannot absorb costs like this without cutting other services. And even though this committee heard from governors and expert witnesses about this issue, this bill does nothing to undo those cuts or delay cost shifts. However, this bill does call for a jail study on rising SNAP administrative costs. But when Republicans require States to pay twenty-five percent more of those costs, the reason is obvious. States don't need another study. They need resources, and these issues are connected. Nutrition programs aren't just for farmers, for families. They also support farmers. And whether a person uses SNAP to buy food at the local store or far farmer's markets Or USDA purchases commodities through TFAP. That money moves through the supply chain. It supports the truck driver, the pro producer, the grocer, and the farmer. Farmers need customers. Families need food. These programs link the two. In North Carolina alone, more than nine thousand individuals and families filed for bankruptcy last year. That's an eleven point four percent increase, with farm bankruptcies and family bankruptcies are rising, that's a clear warning sign, something isn't working. And beyond what this bill fails to do, we should look at what it includes. It strips states of their right to regulate agriculture by overturning voter-approved animal protection measures, even though the Supreme Court already ruled on this issue. It gives broad abil- liability protections to large pesticide companies, Limiting the ability of farmers and families and even states to seek accountability.

Jol- Jol-Lay's time has expired.