Alabama Farmers Applaud House Passage of Farm Bill

By Marlee Jackson
(334) 613-4219

After a marathon debate that stretched into the early hours of April 30, U.S. House members voted mid-morning to pass the farm bill - officially the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. It passed 224 to 200.

It's a step in the right direction following three years of farm bill extensions, said Alabama Farmers Federation National Affairs Director Mitt Walker.

"We need a farm bill that responds to the needs of producers today," Walker said. "The last farm bill was passed in 2018. It was really just a reboot of the 2014 farm bill. If you think of everything that has happened since then, it's past time to get a new farm bill."

Walker said the bill includes critical funding for specialty crop growers, research and more. He noted important changes to Title 1 programming were codified during the reconciliation bill that passed last July, including updates for base acres, ARC and PLC.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall thanked House members, including Ag Committee Chair G.T. Thompson, R-Pa., for passing the modernized farm bill. Alabama congressional leaders who supported final passage were Reps. Robert Aderholt, Barry Moore, Gary Palmer, Mike Rogers and Dale Strong.

"After three years of extensions and eight years since a farm bill was passed, we're grateful the House found a bipartisan path forward," said Duvall, a farmer from Georgia. "Important updates to research and conservation, as well as increased loan limits and clarity on interstate commerce, will help farmers survive today's challenges and give them the tools to thrive in the future."

Walker said he hopes the Senate will soon release its farm bill text. That separate bill will have to pass the Senate Agriculture Committee before heading to the Senate floor. Should it pass the Senate, the two bills will likely head to a conference committee.