Did you know that the 2018 Farm Bill is slated to expire in less than six weeks on 10/1/24… and that technically, it already expired once before on 10/1/23? Congress has been unable to advance a fair and equitable 2024 Farm Bill, putting at risk the vital programs and resources on which our nation’s farmers rely. 

Tell Congress to Pass a Just and Fair Farm Bill ASAP! 

Every successful farm bill has been built on the foundation of bipartisanship and the active engagement of many stakeholder communities, and the next farm bill will be no different. We believe that the 118th Congress could complete a new farm bill this year – but expediency must not come at the expense of policies that address hunger, public health, farmers, workers, and the environment. To deliver this message to Congressional Leaders, several organizations have worked together to pen a sign on letter, which you can read here. 

So far, over 550 organizations have signed on in support – can you add your organization to the list before the September 5th deadline?

Click Here To Add Your Org’s Name to the List of Signatories

Dear Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Chair Thompson, Ranking Member Scott, Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Chair Stabenow, and Ranking Member Boozman:

The years since the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, commonly known as the 2018 Farm Bill, was signed into law have been among the most tumultuous in our nation’s history. Amid an increasingly disruptive and changing climate and the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in the illness and death of thousands of food workers, we also witnessed historic investments in the agricultural economy from the Inflation Reduction Act to the American Rescue Plan Act, and a long-overdue racial justice reckoning. These events conspired to thoroughly unveil the fragility of our farm and food system – impacting everything from the food and nutrition security of millions to the livelihoods of farmers, ranchers, food and farm workers, and countless others.

The next farm bill should begin to address the needs of the modern food and farm system by reflecting these changes in society and across our food, farm, and rural communities. The XXX undersigned national, state, and local organizations enthusiastically call for a farm bill that builds toward a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable food and farm system.

The next farm bill must invest in all farmers and ranchers, strengthen our food system, build a fair and accessible farm safety net, improve climate resilience, and meaningfully support workers and the next generation of farmers. It must make meaningful progress against food insecurity and hunger - protecting and strengthening the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) - while simultaneously supporting nutrition and access to healthy food. The next farm bill must uphold expert advice and existing processes for updating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and school meal nutrition standards. A new farm bill must make long overdue investments in the food and farm workers who keep our food supply chains secure, vibrant, and resilient. It must invest strongly in agricultural research and conservation programming. The next farm bill has an opportunity to double down on the historic climate investments from the Inflation Reduction Act, but cannot undermine legislative direction to target high value climate practices. Finally, a new farm bill must prioritize investments that support individuals and communities who historically have been and, in some cases, continue to be underserved by current federal food and farm policy.

Every successful farm bill has been built on the foundation of bipartisanship and the active engagement of the various stakeholder communities, and the next farm bill will be no different. We believe that the 118th Congress could complete a new farm bill this year – but expediency must not come at the expense of policies that address hunger, public health, farmers, workers, and the environment. As organizations representing millions of individuals and families whose lives and livelihoods are impacted by the farm bill, we are eager to continue working alongside you toward a farm bill that builds a brighter future for all.

There is deep skepticism in House Republican leadership that the chamber will consider the party’s version of the FY2025 farm bill on the floor before the lame-duck session of Congress.

The majority of policies in the farm bill expire at the end of this year. The House Agriculture Committee passed the legislation out of the panel late last month.

But the bill hasn’t been scheduled for a floor vote. And most key figures in House Republican leadership think the legislation will be extended on a short-term basis after the election.

Why? Because passing a farm bill is hard. The legislation includes not only agricultural policy but also nutrition provisions such as SNAP and other social safety net programs.

House Republicans have called for deep cuts to such programs, boxing out Democrats who would traditionally vote for the package and giving pause to GOP lawmakers who don’t want to be seen messing with low-income benefits. The GOP leadership is skeptical of putting bills on the floor that divide Republicans — especially with a single-digit seat majority.

House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) said Republican leaders haven’t given him a date for considering the bill on the floor. He acknowledged that July is a busy month with little time to consider legislation.

“’I’m always hopeful,” Thompson told us. “We got good, decent bipartisan support. We even got folks in committee that voted against it, they called me the next day, just talking about how good the bill was.”

Here’s what House Majority Whip Tom Emmer said when we asked him if the bill would get a vote before the election: “We’re told that’s the plan, but we haven’t seen it.”

— Jake Sherman

The House version of the Farm Bill (HR 8467) that passed the Ag Committee on May 23 will move on to the House floor, where it will be debated and amended. As written now, SNAP-Ed funding would be capped indefinitely, with more administration and no changes from ASNNA’s Farm Bill Recommendations.  While there are many high-profile, big-ticket issues in the Farm Bill, and SNAP-Ed receives little attention, we believe that once House members hear from you about the potential impact in their state, many will want to help by amending the final House bill. More info on reaching out to Members of Congress is coming!

The Senate has shared some language regarding the Farm Bill.

• Senator Boozman's Farm Bill Framework. This is a framework - not bill language.

• Senator Stabenow's Farm Bill Summary. This is from May 1st. 

• Senate Title by Title provisions. 

ASNNA also must take positions on other nutrition programs that benefit the people and communities that SNAP-Ed serves. Farm Bills offer a once-in-5-year chance to strengthen food and nutrition assistance programs you know well.  Think – FDPIR, TEFAP, GusNIP, FINI, HFFI, and SNAP itself – as well as community food and food box projects, hot foods in SNAP, food security micro-grants, and new rules for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Thrifty Food Plan. To see specifics, check out the bill language for the Title IV, Nutrition, pages 263-330 and Title XII, Miscellaneous, pages 902-913.

If you’re interested in any of these topics and would like to help, ASNNA’s Advocacy Committee needs your know how! We want our positions to be rooted in on-the-ground experience. To suggest ways that would solve problems or strengthen these programs, or if you would like to review ASNNA positions while under development, please send Advocacy your thoughts at  info@ASNNA.us.org, using the subject line, Farm Bill Advocacy.  

The House Agriculture Committee votes tomorrow on its version of the 2024 Farm Bill. Unfortunately, the proposed bill leaves behind the farmers and communities that we collectively serve.  

Tell your Representative to vote NO! 

If your Representative is on the House Agriculture Committee, it is absolutely essential that you call and email them TODAY and TOMORROW to tell them to vote "no" on the House farm bill.

Find out if your Rep is on the House Ag Committee + their phone number at govtrack.us

The proposed House farm bill: 

• Fails to fix the flawed farm safety net or fully support diversified, beginning, and smaller-scale farmers. 

• Encourages consolidation in the industry rather than diversity and fair competition for family farms. 

• Takes a massive step backwards by making it harder for farmers to adopt climate-friendly growing practices. 

• Effectively cuts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding, further burdening the millions of families struggling with hunger.

Now is the time to demand better for our farmers and communities.

Take a moment TODAY to call your representative and tell them why they must vote “no” on the House farm bill. Click here to find their phone number.  No time to call?  Use NSAC's action portal to send an email.

Your representative needs to hear from you: the more lawmakers who publicly oppose this harmful bill, the easier it will be to clear a path for a better bill that actually serves all farmers and communities.