At a Crossroads, House Farm Bill Falls Unmistakably Short
On Friday, February 13, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA-15) released the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (FFNSA).
The introduction of the bill comes amidst an historic moment in federal food and agriculture policy. More than seven years removed from the enactment of the 2018 Farm Bill, farmers and ranchers are in a moment of crisis, with countless farms on the brink of foreclosure. The past year has also brought unprecedented instability in federal partnerships: farmers have experienced unexpected contract cuts and unpredictable, abrupt trade policy shifts, and the impact of a severely reduced federal workforce. In January 2025, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) began freezing and even terminating the lawfully held contracts of farmers and farmer-serving organizations, disrupting planning for the 2025 planting season. The past year also included a budget …