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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (3rd District of Ohio)

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty released the following statement regarding today’s vote on the Farm, Food, and National Security Act, also known as the “Farm bill.”

“Today, I voted against H.R. 7567 — the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.”
 

“Since the start of Trump’s trade war, families are paying $310 more for groceries, farm income is down $25 billion, and farm bankruptcies have increased 46%. The evidence is clear: Americans are facing an aggressive affordability crisis, because of Republican policies.  Instead of working with Democrats to make life more affordable, Republicans have prioritized cutting food assistance, protecting corporate profits over health, and stripping funding to underserved communities.”
 

“This harmful legislation codifies the devastating $187 billion cut to SNAP from the One Big Ugly Bill that passed last summer. It makes this Republican-driven attack on working families permanent, and takes away food assistance for 40 million Americans, including 16 million children, 8 million seniors, 1.2 million veterans, and 4 million people with disabilities. Many states may even be forced to stop providing SNAP entirely. At its core, this is cruel, merciless policy that will have dire consequences. I refuse to support a bill that attacks the most vulnerable among us —it’s unforgivable.”
 

“This legislation would also weaken public health protections, jeopardizing the health and wellbeing of farmworkers and everyday Americans. It prioritizes big pesticide companies by shielding the largest manufacturers from liability if their products cause users serious health problems – even cancer. It also weakens environmental safety reviews meant to protect the health of working people. No company should be free from accountability for causing harm to its users.”
 

“This bill is yet another example of Republicans abandoning marginalized communities as it makes harmful changes to the 2501 Program – the only USDA program specifically focused on supporting minority farmers by ensuring they have access to all USDA services.”  
 

“Despite my opposition to the broader Farm Bill, I am pleased that the Heirs’ Agricultural Resources, Viability, Education, and Succession Transfer (HARVEST) Act — legislation I led with Congressman Shomari Figures — was included in the final package.”
 

“The HARVEST Act directs the Secretary of Agriculture to study how historically Black land-grant universities can better educate and assist the next generation of farmers on inheriting and transferring agricultural land and assets. Over the last century,  Black Americans have lost approximately 90 percent of their farmland — dropping from roughly 19 million to 3 million acres. The USDA has called heirs property ‘the leading cause of Black involuntary land loss,’ and without clear title, families cannot qualify for federal aid programs, compounding the disadvantages Black farmers already face.”
 

“Though, broadly, this Farm bill package causes irreparable harm to Americans, I am proud to have led the HARVEST Act, which pushes Congress to finally address the root causes of heirs property, bringing us one step closer to mending the systemic gap barring Black farmers and agriculturalists from the success they deserve.”
 

“I will continue to advocate for Black farmers and marginalized communities to advance food and agricultural equity.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representative Sharice Davids voted to pass the Farm Bill, emphasizing the need to provide certainty for Kansas farmers and address rising costs for families after years of delayed action in Congress.

“Kansas farmers and families have been hit over and over again this past year — from unstable markets to rising input costs and the ripple effects of reckless tariffs,” said Davids. “What they need most right now is stability, not uncertainty. This bipartisan Farm Bill moves us toward more predictability for producers, lower costs for everyone, and a system that actually works for the people feeding and fueling this country. We still have work to do to ensure no family goes hungry, but this is a step toward giving farmers and families the certainty they deserve.”

Today’s Farm Bill:

• Supports farmers’ bottom line: Expands access to farm loans, strengthens crop research, and invests in rural development
• Cuts red tape and boosts innovation: Increases federal support for precision agriculture tools and modern farming practices
• Protects food security: Adds cybersecurity safeguards for the agriculture and food supply chain
• Grows rural economies: Supports new markets for American-grown renewable fuels
• Lowers grocery prices: Strengthens the agricultural supply chain so farmers can produce food more efficiently, helping bring down grocery costs

Davids-Led Provisions:

• Supports Kansas wheat farmers: Requires USDA study on winter wheat as a cover crop to reduce regulatory confusion and improve soil health
• Fixes Tribal parity gap:  Ensures Tribes can access USDA agricultural credit and support programs under the same terms as states

Last year’s partisan budget, which Davids voted against, took food off Kansans’ tables by cutting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to pay for tax breaks for billionaires. In Kansas’ Third District alone, 8,000 households could lose access to food assistance, and up to 27,000 grocery stores nationwide could close due to lost revenue. These cuts are also reducing farm income by more than $30 billion and threatening good-paying jobs. Davids supported an amendment to today’s Farm Bill that would reverse these reckless cuts, but it was not accepted by the Republican majority.

Davids previously went on a Farm Bill listening tour, where she visited a poultry and livestock operation in Anderson County, a co-op in Franklin County, a goat farm in Miami County, an organic vegetable farm in Johnson County, and an educational community farm in Wyandotte County. Davids also toured a Garnett-based renewable ethanol producer, participated in FFA activities at Spring Hill High School, served a school lunch at Black Bob Elementary in Olathe, spoke with industry leaders on financial support programs for farmers, toured a dairy farm in Garnett, and more.

Kansas families and farmers are feeling the impact of President Trump’s trade policies. The Budget Lab at Yale estimates the average American household will pay about $2,400 more per year due to tariffs. Davids raised these concerns during a U.S. House Agriculture Committee hearing on trade disruptions — concerns echoed by Kansas Farm Bureau President Joe Newland.

Last year, Davids also wrote to the President noting that while short-term support may be necessary, Kansas producers consistently prefer “trade, not aid.” Following continued pressure on farm economies, the President later announced a relief package for farmers affected by tariff-related economic hardship.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), co-founder of the Congressional Vietnam Caucus, issued the following statement marking 51 years since the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975:

“The fall of Saigon 51 years ago marked a turning point in world history, one that led to unimaginable hardship for the millions of Vietnamese who were displaced by a brutal communist regime. I remember volunteering with the Red Cross back in 1975 when the first wave of refugees were arriving in San Jose. On Tháng Tư Đen, or Black April, we honor the South Vietnamese military who fought alongside American troops to defend democracy and human dignity. This solemn day is also an opportunity to reflect on the many contributions the Vietnamese diaspora has made to California and to our country. I’m immensely proud to represent tens of thousands of Vietnamese Americans, and I will always use my voice in Congress to advocate for the release of political prisoners in Vietnam and for human rights globally.”

Lofgren represents large parts of San Jose, home to nearly 150,000 Vietnamese residents, making it the largest Vietnamese population of any city outside of Vietnam. She visited Vietnam in 2015 with then-Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), where they met with dissidents persecuted by the Vietnamese government and handed government officials lists of political prisoners who ought to be released. 

Lofgren and Rep. Sam Liccardo (CA-16) participated in a ceremony on Saturday at the Vietnamese American Service Center (VASC) in San Jose to commemorate Black April. She is also co-leading a resolution with Rep. Derek Tran (CA-45) to recognize the 51^st anniversary.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined CNBC’s Squawk Box to highlight House Republicans’ action-packed legislative week, including steps to fund the Department of Homeland Security, advance national security tools, and move key economic legislation. Leader Scalise criticized Democrats for opposing border security measures at a time of heightened threats.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full interview. 
Highlights from Leader Scalise’s interview:On Republicans passing critical legislation on the House floor this week:“It’s been a very busy week here in Congress with a lot of really important things to do. And yesterday we really cleared a lot of those big, big items. We moved the FISA renewal bill, which is really important for the United States to be able to stop terrorist attacks that come from abroad. And this goes back to September 11th. It’s a tool that we reformed a few years ago dramatically, and we need to renew it so that this tool can still be available to stop terrorist attacks.“Then, as you mentioned, you got Homeland Security that’s been shut down because the Democrats want open borders. They’ve kept the department shut down for months. So, we moved a budget last night that’s going to at least allow us to fund the border security portions of Homeland Security. Then we have a separate bill that we’re going to move that will fund everything else from TSA to FEMA to the Coast Guard. So, it’s a two-pronged approach that we’re going to take because the Democrats shut it down. “Then we’re going to move the Farm Bill. This is so important to all of rural America, farming country in America, anybody who deals with agriculture. The Farm Bill is critically, critically important. Chairman Thompson and the Agriculture Committee put together a really good bill. There’s going to be a number of amendments we’ll take up first, starting in probably the next two hours, and then we will move through to passing the Farm Bill over to the Senate later today. So all of that happened. And by the way, we had King Charles come and address a joint session of Congress, which was really, really historic and special as well.”On radical Democrats voting for open borders:“Look, if anything else, it shows just how far left the Democrat Party has moved to where they will unite to shut down the Department of Homeland Security, literally, because they want open borders. And the biggest issue in the 2024 presidential election was border security. President Trump ran on it. He won on that issue, and he’s worked with us in Congress to secure the border. And of course, Democrats in Washington have voted every step of the way against those measures, including now shutting down the entire Department of Homeland Security. At the end of the day, this is not good for them. It shows how radical they’ve become, you know, where basically the Mamdani wing of the party has taken over. So, they’re going to have to answer for that in November.“We’ve worked with President Trump to make life more affordable, to address many of the problems that we inherited. Also, to stabilize the tax code. No tax on overtime, no tax on tips. Seniors got a really big tax deduction that we put into that Working Families Tax Cut, and every Democrat voted against it because they want you to pay more taxes. They want to keep more power in Washington. That’s going to be what the big fight’s about in November.”On President Trump’s leadership in preventing a nuclear-armed Iran:“Did anybody want a nuclear-armed Iran? I think if you ask most normal people, they would say absolutely not when they just slaughtered 30,000 of their own people. They were about to get a nuclear weapon, and President Trump stopped that. But that’s going to get resolved. President Trump’s negotiating that right now…“We know they had the, basically, the enriched uranium that was ready to go, and with the ballistic missiles to deliver them. Did we really want to wait until they were really developing a bomb that they would be willing to send out… You know, look, I think everybody knows the world is a safer place, America is a safer place without a nuclear-armed Iran.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Newhouse (4th District of Washington)

Headline: Newhouse Applauds House Passage of the Farm Bill

For Immediate Release: April 30, 2026
Contact: Juan Ayala, (202) 713-7750

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released the following statement after the House passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, commonly referred to as the Farm Bill. This legislation passed by a bipartisan vote of 224-200. 

“Rural America is in dire straits. I have heard from farmers, ranchers, and producers across Central Washington about their continued struggles due to high input prices, market disruptions, and labor costs,” said Rep. Newhouse. “This is why the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 is desperately needed. This important legislation will strengthen support for the over 250 specialty crop growers in the Fourth District alone, improve access to much-needed crop insurance, invest in agricultural export programs, and reauthorize voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. As a third-generation farmer in the Yakima Valley, I know firsthand the challenges farm country is facing, and the importance of reauthorizing the Farm Bill. I urge the Senate to act swiftly so we can deliver for Rural America.”

Background

The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 was introduced on February 13, 2026, and would reauthorize U.S. Department of Agriculture programs through 2031. Its focuses include investing in farming, expanding trade efforts, enhancing domestic fertilizer production, and boosts national security regarding foreign ownership of farmland.

This legislation also makes significant investments in the specialty crop industry by providing over $1 billion for programs that enhance their competitiveness and supports specialty crop research. 

Earlier this year on March 5, 2026, Rep. Newhouse voted to advance the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 from the House Agriculture Committee. The legislation advanced with a bipartisan vote of 34-17. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Olivia Porcaro 202-225-6165

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after voting in favor of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, which reauthorizes, modernizes, and improves key Department of Agriculture programs through 2031:

“Agriculture is truly the heart of America – and as a lifelong Oklahoman, I know this firsthand. In fact, Oklahoma ranks first in the nation in the production of rye, third in the nation in the production of wheat, fifth in the production of cattle, pecans and grain sorghum, tenth in peanuts, and twelfth in watermelon. It is clear: Oklahoma’s farmers, ranchers, producers, and growers are essential to not only our state, but to our entire country,” said Congressman Cole.

“In return, as the representative for over 13,000 farms and ranches in the Fourth District alone, I will always fight to ensure they are not neglected in Congress. Today, in passing the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026, we did just that,” said Congressman Cole.

“This legislation focuses on practical policy for farm country. It will help to keep family farms in business, competition thriving, and grocery shelves stocked. This bill maintains America’s position as a global agriculture leader – because food security is national security. It provides farmers with the protection and stability they need to maintain healthy crops and produce, as well as streamlines working lands conservation programs and prioritizes responsible management of federal forests. Furthermore, it enacts these commonsense policies all while remaining budget neutral and prioritizing integrity and transparency,” said Congressman Cole.

“The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 was must-pass legislation, and I am proud to have helped push it across the finish line with my vote today. I also want to thank my good friend, fellow Oklahoman, and former Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Congressman Frank Lucas, for all he did to secure these important provisions vital to Oklahoma. We must always ensure that those who put food on our tables and fuel the American people are not left behind,” said Congressman Cole.

Wins for Oklahoma in the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026

• Protects and enhances conservation programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program, supporting Oklahoma’s 84 conservation districts.
• Updates essential watershed programs that so many Oklahomans rely on to maintain and improve the over 2,100 watershed flood control dams in Oklahoma.
• Increases funding for the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program so that our producers can more easily tap into trade expansion.
• Authorizes state and tribal led local food purchasing programs to increase the purchase of local foods, growing local economies.
• Reauthorizes critical rural development programs that invest in economic development, job creation, technical assistance, and utility services.
• Reauthorizes vital water infrastructure programs such as the Rural Water and Wastewater Circuit Rider Program. This program supports the over 3,000 technical assistance visits that Oklahoma Rural Water Association circuit riders carry out each year.
• Incorporates middle mile infrastructure into the ReConnect Rural Broadband Program, improving access to rural areas and lowering costs for users and providers.
• Reauthorizes important research, extension, and education activities that our land-grant universities, such as Oklahoma State University, Langston University, and College of the Muscogee Nation, rely on to produce innovative and cutting-edge research.
• Increases loan guarantee to $50 million for the Rural Energy for America Program and ensures that projects using underutilized renewable energy technologies, such as distributed wind projects, are highlighted.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Ilhan Omar (DFL-MN)

WASHINGTON – Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) introduced five amendments to the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. This bill fails to address the rapidly growing affordability crisis facing American workers, families, and farmers. This bill retains Republicans’ $187 billion cut to SNAP in last year’s reconciliation bill, leaving over 40 million Americans without the support they need to put food on the table. 

Congresswoman Omar’s amendments aim to combat hunger here in the United States and abroad, ensure workers’ safety in meat processing facilities, and invest in sustainable farming practices.

“The Farm Bill that Republicans have put in front of us today completely misses the mark in addressing the needs of working people,” said Rep. Omar. “I introduced five amendments to reform our agriculture and nutrition policies to guarantee that no child goes hungry at school, prioritize workers’ safety in food processing industries, and ensure we’re doing all we can to end hunger here at home and end the global food crisis. It is shameful that Republicans completely abandoned vulnerable children and families in this bill. I will always put working families over big corporations looking to profit at the expense of the American people. I could not in good conscience vote for this bill.” 

The amendments introduced by Rep. Omar include:

• Omar #297 – Prohibits school lunch shaming.
• Omar #306 – Establishes a universal school meals program.
• Omar #340 – Categorizes controlled-environment agriculture, including vertical farming, as a high-priority research area.
• Omar #355 –  Blocks two proposed rules that would raise line speed limits in poultry processing facilities and remove line speed limits in pork processing facilities entirely, and prohibits substantially similar rules in the future.
• Omar #366 – Doubles the funding for Food for Peace.

The full text of the amendments is available here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12)

Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7567, the bipartisan Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, which builds on the historic agriculture investments made in H.R. 1, often known as the Working Families Tax Cuts. After voting in support of the bill, Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) issued the following statement:

“Rural America needs a new Farm Bill now, not tomorrow. With today’s passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act, House Republicans have once again reaffirmed our commitment to American agriculture and delivered for hardworking growers and producers. 

“Having grown up on a Hereford cattle farm and traveled throughout the 12th District, I know the uncertainty Georgia’s farmers can face—which has been exacerbated in recent years by high input costs, shrinking margins, devastating natural disasters, and market uncertainty. The best way to reinvigorate our farm economy and bring certainty back to farm country is to send a modern Farm Bill that addresses today’s challenges to President Trump’s desk. This bill is the answer.

“With agriculture being the number one industry in the 12th District and across our state, I was proud to support this Farm Bill that not only delivers sound agriculture policy but also provides our farmers with the tools and resources they need.”

More specifically, H.R. 7567:

• Expands access to credit and risk management tools for producers facing some of the toughest times in the farm economy since the 1980s crisis.
• Doubles down on integrity and transparency measures in the nutrition title while prioritizing health, without increasing federal spending.
• Prioritizes domestic production of healthy fruits and vegetables.
• Streamlines working lands conservation programs and prioritizes responsible management of federal forests.
• Attacks the agriculture trade deficit by increasing funding for export promotion programs.
• Modernizes rural development and energy programs, prioritizes cutting-edge research, expands access to meat processing, and codifies key initiatives related to national security and foreign ownership of farmland.
• Protects interstate commerce for livestock producers and provides regulatory certainty for farmers who need access to critical crop protection tools.

NOTE: Following Hurricane Helene’s destruction, Congressman Allen co-introduced the Farmers’ AID Relief Act, which updates the Hurricane Insurance Protection – Wind Index (HIP-WI) to better reflect real-world storm paths and protect farmers affected by damage. This legislation is included as a marker bill in Sec. 11016 of Title XI of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act. Additionally, H.R. 7567 is supported by more than 500 stakeholder organizations, including the Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia Agribusiness Council, Georgia Association of Conservation Districts, Georgia Corn Growers Association, Georgia Cotton Commission, and others.

Read the full bill text HERE.
Read a section-by-section HERE.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Thomas Massie (4th District of Kentucky)

For Immediate Release
Contact: massie.press@mail.house.gov
Contact #: 202-225-3465

Washington, D.C.- Representative Thomas Massie announces a pilot program for HR 4700, the Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption Act (PRIME Act), is included in the Farm Bill (HR 7567) passed in the House of Representatives today. The House approved the Farm Bill on a vote of 224-200, with Rep. Massie voting in favor of the legislation. The PRIME Act is Rep. Massie’s signature legislation.

“I am excited to announce that a pilot program for the PRIME Act is included in this year’s Farm Bill,” said Rep. Thomas Massie. “This means consumers can soon expect increased access to locally raised and processed beef, pork, and lamb sold directly from farmers, and farmers will no longer be burdened by the hefty and costly U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) constraints that force them to drive hundreds of miles with their animals to the few and sparse USDA facilities, as currently required.”

“A healthy America begins with what we eat,” Rep. Massie continued. “I am committed to making better food accessible for all families and advancing policies that empower consumers, support local farmers, and strengthen our nation’s food system.”

The PRIME Act pilot program is included as Section 12114 of the Farm Bill. Under its provisions, upon application from a custom-exempt slaughter facility, a state may operate a pilot program allowing the facility to sell slaughtered meat and meat food products directly to consumers within the state in which the facility is located. 

The pilot program includes a labeling regime requiring that all products are clearly labeled to indicate the name and address of the processing facility, the name and address of the animal’s owner from which the meat products are derived, the location where the animals were raised, the date of slaughter and the period of time over which the owner raised the animals, notice that the meat was not subject to federal inspection, and an advertisement that the product shall not be resold.

Custom-exempt slaughter facilities participating in the pilot program are required to comply with the Humane Methods Slaughter Act of 1958, all applicable state and local laws, section 23(d) of the Federal Meat Inspection Act, and federal regulations about sanitation standards, recordkeeping, and the handling of specified risk materials.

Facilities participating in the program remain subject to periodic on-site inspections by the USDA to ensure compliance with the pilot program’s requirements, as well as to regular inspections conducted by either local authorities responsible for restaurant inspections or the state Department of Agriculture.

Legislative text for the PRIME Act pilot program is available at this link. 

Additional Background:

Rep. Massie’s PRIME Act is designed to make it easier for small farms and ranches to serve consumers. Under the PRIME Act, local inspectors––rather than USDA inspectors––could inspect meat production facilities, and regulations governing meat distribution could be adjusted to allow more convenient access for consumers. The PRIME Act would give individual states the freedom to permit intrastate distribution of locally grown and slaughtered meat to consumers, restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, and grocery stores.

The PRIME Act is bipartisan legislation. Reps. Massie (R-KY) and Pingree (D-ME) introduced the legislation on July 23, 2025. Companion legislation, S.2409, has been introduced in the United States Senate by Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Rand Paul (R-KY).

Legislative text for HR 4700, the PRIME Act, is available at this link. A current list of cosponsors is available at this link. 

Rep. Massie raises cattle on his off-the-grid farm in northeast Kentucky.

Rep. Pingree raises grass-fed beef and chickens on her island farm in North Haven, Maine.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)

Speaking on the House floor last night, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) condemned the Republican Farm Bill that fails farmers and puts chemical company profits over the health of Americans. Pingree spoke in support of an amendment to remove dangerous, industry-written language that would pre-empt state rights to regulate pesticide usage or labeling and provide a liability shield for pesticide manufacturers. Representative Anna Paulina Luna’s (R-Fla.) amendment language is identical to the bipartisan amendment Pingree and Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) introduced. 

“Our amendment to strike the pesticide liability shield sections from the Farm Bill has drawn broad bipartisan support, both within this chamber and across America,” Pingree said. “The harmful language that Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee included in the Farm Bill is a handout to Big Chemical and preempts states’ rights to regulate pesticide usage or labeling and provides a liability shield for pesticide manufacturers.”

Click here to watch Pingree’s full remarks

Transcript:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the ranking member for yielding me the time.

I am sorry to say that this is a terrible Farm Bill. As a result of this bill, more people will go hungry. More farmers will lose assistance to conservation programs that are already oversubscribed. And more farmers who are struggling to make ends meet will find it more and more difficult to hang onto their farms.

I have a lot of concerns about this bill, but I’d like to use the limited time I have to show strong support for Representative Luna’s pesticide amendment. I am proud to say that her amendment, which was made in order, mirrors the language of the bipartisan amendment I sponsored with Representative Massie, and I want to thank Representative Luna for also working on this important issue.

Our amendment to strike the pesticide liability shield sections from the Farm Bill has drawn broad bipartisan support, both within this chamber and across America.

The harmful language that Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee included in the Farm Bill is a handout to Big Chemical and preempts states’ rights to regulate pesticide usage or labeling and provides a liability shield for pesticide manufacturers.

Put simply, this language puts chemical company profits over the health of Americans.

 More than 200,000 Roundup-related health claims have been made against Bayer. Behind the numbers are real people—husbands, wives, farmers, even pets—with heartbreaking stories. People suffering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and other devastating cancers, racking up outrageous medical bills.

And what’s worse, chemical manufacturers have spent time and money developing additional uses for these same chemicals beyond killing weeds. We see glyphosate now used to dry crops before harvest, and that means it makes its way into more and more of our food system. That means the bread we’re eating, the hummus, the pasta, is more likely to contain this toxic and dangerous chemical. So more and more people are ingesting it without even realizing it.

 If this language is not removed, we will have handed companies like Bayer exactly what they have spent millions of dollars and lobbying power on: legal immunity.

 Earlier this year, I successfully sought to strip similar language from the FY 2026 Interior Appropriations funding bill. Unfortunately, the work we did in that committee did not deter Bayer, who, armed with 53 lobbyists and millions of dollars, immediately got to work to get their get-out-of-jail-free card elsewhere, in this Farm Bill and at the Supreme Court.

Democrats, Republicans, and citizens across this country agree: Keep this language out of the Farm Bill.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. I thank you, and I yield back.

Background:

Pingree, a longtime farmer and member of the House Agriculture Committee, attempted to strip this language from the Farm Bill during the committee markup in February. Pingree and Massie introduced the bipartisan Pingree-Massie Protect Our Health Amendment to remove this language from the final Farm Bill.

In January, Pingree successfully removed a similar provision from the FY2026 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill. 

Earlier this year, President Trump signed an Executive Order to increase domestic production of glyphosate—a widely used weedkiller that has been linked to multiple health issues, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Pingree and Massie also introduced the No Immunity for Glyphosate Act, which would undo Trump’s Executive Order. 

On Monday, April 27, the U.S. Supreme Court heard an appeal by the manufacturer of Roundup, supported by the Trump Administration, over lawsuits that allege it failed to warn consumers about the product’s dangers. Pingree and Massie both spoke at the “People vs. Poison” rally outside the Supreme Court [photos available here].

Pesticides in the United States are regulated under a combination of federal, state, and local laws. Debates over state and local authority to regulate pesticide use have been litigated for decades, particularly in cases involving widely used chemicals such as Roundup and paraquat, which have been linked to serious health harms. Many states, cities, and counties have adopted measures to restrict pesticide spraying near schools, homes, and public spaces, citing the heightened vulnerability of children to toxic exposure and risks to brain development, reproduction, and long-term health.

Seven states—Maine, Alaska, Hawaii, Maryland, Utah, Nevada, and Vermont—do not preempt local governments from regulating pesticide use within their jurisdictions. In Maine alone, there are more than 30 state and local regulations related to pesticide use and warning requirements that would be undermined or preempted under this Republican pesticide provision in the Farm Bill.

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