House Unveils $1.5 Trillion Farm Bill, Setting Up Funding Showdown

The draft text of the House Agriculture Committee’s long-awaited farm bill was unveiled on May 17, revealing a $1.5 trillion package that could set off another partisan fight in a historically contentious Congress. The 942-page bill includes significant increases to farm safety net programs to offset the impact of inflation while also boosting funds for trade promotion to increase access to foreign markets. The measure also expands access to cost-saving energy efficiency updates, enhances farmers’ financing options, boosts support for rural infrastructure development, and allocates funding for research, among other provisions. “The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 is the product of extensive feedback from stakeholders and all Members of the House and is responsive to the needs of farm country through the incorporation of hundreds of bipartisan policies,” Rep. Glenn “G.T.” Thompson (R-Pa.) said in a statement....