MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN-04)

Congressman Baird Congressman Baird Votes on Resolution to Unlock Funding for Homeland Security, Prioritize Safety

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN-04)

Today, Congressman Jim Baird (IN-04) voted to pass the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 out of the U.S. House of Representatives. This legislation will support key components of America’s agricultural economy and support Hoosier farmers through every season.

“I am extremely proud to represent a rural district where agriculture is not just part of the economy, it is the economy,” said Congressman Baird. “Our landscape is defined by corn and soybean fields that feed our country, fuel our bioeconomy, and supply global markets. The Farm Bill supports the very future of communities like mine.” 

“I am proud of the work I have done on this bill, and I am also very pleased that several of my priorities are included in this bill: the Increased TSP Access Act, Strengthening Local Processing Act, NSF and USDA Interagency Research Act, and the Plant Biostimulant Act,” said Congressman Baird. “Each of these provisions will provide necessary support to our farmers and our great agriculture industry. I urge the Senate to take up this bill and quickly pass it to deliver the certainty our farmers deserve.”

Congressman Baird’s Provisions 2026 within the Farm Bill:

• The Increased TSP Access Act addresses Technical Service Provider (TSP) shortages by establishing a more streamlined certification process and increasing the number of TSPs to help farmers with their conservation efforts.
• The NSF and USDA Interagency Research Act strengthens the partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to promote cross-cutting and collaborative research.
• The Strengthening Local Processing Act makes it easier for local livestock and poultry producers to process meat locally and expands access to federal resources.
• The Plant Biostimulant Act creates a uniform federal definition for plant biostimulants and establishes a consistent regulatory pathway to market. 

 
The bill has numerous additional provisions that directly support Indiana’s Fourth District:

• Puts emphasis on science and technological innovation in conservation standards and process reviews.
• Directs development of crop insurance to bolster research and private sector delivery systems by studying ways to modernize risk management.
• Provides continued support for land-grant institutions.
• Supports competition for research, extension, and educational activities.
• Promotes interagency coordination on Federal agency research of agriculture.
• Increases access to the Rural Energy for America Program.
• Addresses California’s Proposition 12, which harmed pork producers nationwide.
• Strengthens rural broadband connectivity for rural communities.
• Protects rural healthcare initiatives.
• Transfers the authority over the Food for Peace Act to the USDA and makes U.S. commodities a priority over non-American goods.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Moolenaar (4th District of Michigan)

Headline: Moolenaar Applauds Passage of 2026 Farm Bill

Today, Congressman John Moolenaar voted in favor of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (commonly referred to as the Farm Bill). The legislation reauthorizes and improves vital programs within the U.S. Department of Agriculture that Michigan farmers and ranchers rely on. The Farm Bill also makes key investments in rural communities to expand broadband access and create jobs.

“The Farm Bill is crucial for the 17,000 farmers in my district and producers across the nation. It is a win for Michigan, giving farmers certainty and allowing them to prepare for the future by reauthorizing and modernizing key programs that help farmers during challenging times. Affordability starts on our farms, and this legislation ensures family farms are able to thrive; keeping grocery shelves stocked and prices down,” said Moolenaar. “The Farm Bill will also help residents in our rural communities by providing federal funding and grants for vital infrastructure projects and expanding broadband access.”

Congress has not passed a Farm Bill since 2018, leaving farmers and rural communities to rely on short-term extensions of outdated policies to prepare for the future. The 2026 Farm Bill reauthorizes programs with needed updates through 2031.

Key policy wins for Michigan in the Farm Bill include: 

Crop Insurance: The Farm Bill reauthorizes the crop insurance program, which helps Michigan farmers recover losses from unpredictable weather that can ruin crop seasons. Provisions in the legislation reduce crop insurance premiums, saving Michigan farmers millions of dollars.

Rural Development: Enhances the USDA’s rural development programs to improve broadband connectivity and water infrastructure in rural communities, and encourages private investment in rural areas to create jobs.

Specialty Crops: Invests $1.1 billion in specialty crop research, grants, and crop insurance to support specialty crop producers.

Farmland Protection: Includes provisions to prevent foreign adversaries, such as the Chinese Communist Party, from purchasing American farmland.

A full section-by-section summary of the legislation can be found here. 

The 2026 Farm Bill passed the House of Representatives in a bipartisan vote of 224 to 200.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

Republican Farm Bill Fails Families, Farmers

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, today hosted a shadow hearing titled Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump’s Attacks on Temporary Protected Status (TPS). 

“Eliminating TPS is yet another assault by Trump and Stephen Miller on our LEGAL immigration system, making it clear that their agenda has never just been about the ‘worst of the worst’. It has always been about eliminating ALL immigration,” said Jayapal. “Let’s be clear: If they are successful in their efforts to terminate TPS, we will force people to return to countries where they literally will face death or life-threatening conditions. Thank you to all the witnesses who joined us today to shed light on this critical issue.”

“The Court now faces a fundamental choice: whether to uphold the checks and balances at the heart of our Constitution, or to allow the Executive to disregard laws enacted by Congress. Its decision will determine the futures of Haitian and Syrian TPS holders, but its impact will extend far beyond those communities. Up to 1.3 million of our neighbors, caregivers, health care workers, and business owners could be stripped of status and made deportable to countries still facing humanitarian crises. We cannot afford to wait for the ruling of this case to come out for there to be protections available for people who are facing the devastating harms from illegal TPS terminations,” said Emi MacLean, a Senior Staff Attorney at the ACLU of Northern California.

“UNITE HERE fights for all workers, regardless of where they were born, because our industries, our communities, and our economy depend on them. The workers in my union are parents, neighbors, community leaders. They are people like me: individuals who came to this country seeking safety and opportunity. As a union leader, I will continue to fight for them. But we need action from Congress. We need to protect TPS and we need pathways to citizenship,” said Rose Denis, President of UNITE HERE Local 355. 

“I lead 1199 SEIU’s Homecare Division, responsible for a remarkable community of 60,000 home health aides and personal assistants. A large number of our members are Haitian immigrants, including a significant portion with TPS, many of whom have lived and worked legally in the U.S. since before 2010, when Haiti was first designated for TPS. Here’s what it looks like if and when Haiti’s TPS ends: Critical operations at local hospitals will be canceled due to the absence of dozens of staff who prep the operating room, hundreds of elderly residents will wake to their favorite CNA missing, people with disabilities will lose their PCA as they self-deport in fear of being deported or languishing in detention, and some people will die. Let’s be clear. This doesn’t have to happen, and it’s good for no one,” said Katia Guillaume, Vice President of SEIU Local 1199. 

“My mother’s journey, marked by resilience, is a testament to the strength and determination of TPS holders everywhere. While the challenges we face are real and frightening, our hope is even larger than the fear we face. Advocating for status security ensures the stability of families and the future leaders of the U.S. I urge Congress to pass a pathway to citizenship for longtime TPS holders like my mother,” said Cristel, the U.S. citizen daughter of a Salvadoran TPS holder. 

“The conditions back in Venezuela have not changed since the extraction of the unelected dictator Nicolas Maduro. If we were to be sent back, we would be apprehended and tortured upon any of our arrival. Congress must enact laws that protect Venezuelan TPS holders like me,” said Enrique, a Venezuelan TPS holder.

TPS is a designation that allows immigrants who are currently in the United States and unable to return to their home country due to armed conflict, environmental disaster or epidemic, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions to remain in the country. It has long been a program with bipartisan support and used by Presidents from both parties to protect millions of immigrants from being forced to return to unsafe situations. As the Trump administration works to cancel TPS for multiple countries, the fate of the program hangs in the balance, awaiting Supreme Court action.

This was the eighth hearing in this series, each of which has focused on a different aspect of immigration oversight. The others have focused on Trump’s attacks on children and families, assault on Minnesota, detention abuses, Trump’s assault on Chicago, families that have been torn apart, unlawful third-country deportations, and efforts to undermine due process.

Jayapal was joined at the hearing by Representatives Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), J. Luis Correa (CA-46), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Darren Soto (FL-09), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25).

Issues: Immigration

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, released the following statement regarding the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals’ 3-0 ruling that found the Trump Administration’s policy of detaining immigrants without bond to be illegal. 

“Trump has been detaining immigrants at an extremely high rate. While the daily numbers have fluctuated, in January 2026, the number of people in detention on a single day hit 70,000 for the first time. The number of deaths in detention has soared as a result of the inhumane conditions, with an unprecedented 47 deaths occurring in ICE custody since Trump came into office in January 2025. There have also been numerous reports of moldy food, inadequate amounts of water, medical neglect, and people packed in so tightly they can’t even lie down to sleep.  

“Today’s ruling by a three-judge panel, including one judge appointed by Trump, unanimously finds that this administration cannot hold immigrants indefinitely without a bond hearing, stating, ‘The government’s interpretation … would send a seismic shock through our immigration detention system and society, straining our already overcrowded detention infrastructure, incarcerating millions, separating families, and disrupting communities.’ 

“In implementing this mass detention policy across the country, the Administration has completely disregarded the Due Process clause of the U.S. Constitution, as well as decades of precedent regarding immigration enforcement. 

“Thus far, 420 District Court Judges have rejected the Trump Administration’s cruel detention policy with only 47 ruling in favor. While this case is likely to head to the Supreme Court, this unanimous Appeals Court ruling is an important marker in the journey for justice and the protection of due process for all individuals.” 

Jayapal led 62 Members of Congress earlier this year in calling out policy changes around bond hearings and demanding a change. She also leads the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, which aims to end mandatory detention and phase out the use of private, for-profit detention centers.

Issues: Immigration

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman French Hill (AR-02)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. French Hill (AR-02) voted to pass H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. The bill passed the House by a vote of 224-200 and includes Rep. Hill’s and Rep. Rick Crawford’s (AR-01) Farmer Assistance, Resilience, and Mental Health Evaluation Research Study (FARMERS) amendment, directing the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network to study the availability and use of mental health services among farmers, ranchers, and agricultural professionals and report its findings to Congress.

Rep. Hill said, “Farmers and ranchers have faced several brutal years in a row. Rising input costs, stagnant or falling commodity prices, historic floods, and now drought have tested the resilience of family operations across Arkansas and the country. Congressional Republicans passed the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, and the Trump administration has stepped up with direct relief. The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 builds on that work to make sure our agriculture workers and farm families have the support they need.

“I am also proud that my amendment in support of farm families was included in this farm bill. Too many farmers and ranchers are struggling in silence, and we don’t have a clear picture of whether the mental health resources we have are actually getting to the people who need them. This amendment aims to change that. It gives us the data and recommendations needed to build smarter solutions and make sure no farmer or rancher has to face the hard times alone.”

Background

The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 supports producers, protects crop insurance, and provides the certainty farmers need to plan for the future. Key provisions include:

• Increases funding for the Market Access Program
• Strengthens broadband for rural communities
• Updates USDA loan limits for guaranteed and ownership loans, direct operating loans, and microloans
• Supports funding for Ag research and education initiatives

Rep. Hill’s FARMERS amendment helps address the mental health and suicide crisis that is impacting farmers and ranchers across rural America. Almost everyone living in rural America and our farming communities knows someone impacted by this public health crisis.

The amendment gives Congress the data we need to build smarter, more targeted solutions. It directs the USDA Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, in coordination with its Regional Lead Institutions, to submit a report to Congress within one year of enactment, assessing:

• The prevalence of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, trauma-related disorders, and suicidal ideation, among farmers, ranchers, and agricultural professionals.
• The availability of care through traditional settings like counseling, psychotherapy, and support groups as well as innovative tele-mental health services in rural areas.
• Recommendations to improve access, reduce barriers, and strengthen the effectiveness of mental health care delivery for the agricultural community.

The USDA is explicitly allowed to work with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, states, and NIFA Land-Grant University Extension Services.

Beyond the Farm Bill: How Republicans Have Delivered for Farmers Since the Start of the 119th Congress:

Working Families Tax Cuts

• Invested over $59 billion over the next decade in the farm safety net, including major updates to Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs to address persistent inflation and rising production costs.
• Expanded benefits for beginning farmers and ranchers and made crop insurance more affordable.
• Increases reference prices by 10-20% for commodities to address persistent inflation and rising production costs.
• Raised the estate tax exemption to $15 million per individual ($30 million for married couples) to protect illiquid family farms.
• Made the qualified business income deduction permanent.

Trump Administration Actions to Help Farmers and Ranchers

• Provided over $12 billion through the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, more than $16 billion in supplemental disaster relief, and over $700 million in Emergency Livestock Relief for ranchers.
• Signed an Executive Order targeting price fixing, anti-competitive behavior, and foreign influence in the seed, fertilizer, and farm equipment markets.
• Opened new markets abroad, including $1 billion in corn purchases from South Korea, $172 million in soybeans from Bangladesh, and agreements with Japan and China to purchase Arkansas crops like rice and soybeans.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) announced new recreational fishing management measures issued by NOAA Fisheries for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass for the 2026 and 2027 fishing seasons.

NOAA finalized the rule on April 29, 2026, with an effective date of April 30, 2026. The agency also implemented a new Recreational Measures Setting process on April 28, 2026, which will guide how recreational fishing limits are set moving forward.

For 2026 and 2027, NOAA approved the following measures:

• Scup will remain at current recreational harvest levels.
• Summer flounder will continue to be managed through conservation equivalency, allowing Maryland to set state-specific size, season, and possession limits.
• Black sea bass will also be managed through conservation equivalency, with a 20 percent increase in allowable harvest across participating states.

Maryland-specific limits and seasons will be set by state fisheries managers.

NOAA is accepting public comment on the new process through May 28, 2026, and on the 2026 and 2027 recreational measures through May 15, 2026.

Statement from Congressman Harris:

“I’m grateful to Assistant Administrator Piñeiro Soler and his entire team at NOAA Fisheries for, following my office’s engagement, working to quickly remedy the delay in releasing updated recreational measures for the 2026 season. These new measures will provide much-needed economic certainty to the recreational fishing industry in Ocean City and across the Mid-Atlantic region. Make no mistake, I will always fiercely advocate for Maryland’s treasured fishing community.”

Statement from Sonny Gwin, President of the Worcester County Watermen’s Association:

“We would like to thank Congressman Andy Harris for his quick response to this issue. This will be a great relief economically for the recreational sector and a chance to go fishing when stocks are abundantly high.”

The full text of the letter can be viewed here.
NOAA’s announcement can be viewed here.

For media inquiries, please contact Michella Carter at Michella.Carter@mail.house.gov