Farm Bill 2.0 Faces Delays, Congressman Says Little Momentum Left

A U.S. Congressman from South Dakota says it’s unlikely Congress will pass a Farm Bill 2.0 by the end of the calendar year.

Dusty Johnson said, “I would certainly love to get it done sooner rather than later, but it’s probably gonna take a little while. There does not appear like there’s as much momentum behind that because we’ve already done so much of the farm bill.”

Johnson says 85 percent of the farm bill was included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed earlier this year. And he says there were four policies people really wanted in a farm bill. “To strengthen and protect crop insurance, increase reference prices in title one programs, improve conservation, especially working lands conservation, and get into place some SNAP reforms.”

Johnson says funding the U.S. government will be a priority when Congress returns to Washington D.C., not a farm bill.

EDITOR’S TAKE:

With so much of the farm bill policies included in the One Big Beautiful Bill passed earlier this year, the expectation for comprehensive farm legislation is waning. It is obvious that Congress has little desire to reopen the discussion but prefers to focus on passing budgets that will keep government running with minimal further disruption. Be that as it may, sooner or later Congress will be unable to keep kicking the can down the road when it comes to the farm bill. Farmers and ranchers, as well as people relying on nutrition programs such as SNAP, depend on the legislation to guide their decisions going forward. Farmers and ranchers also want certainty when it comes to conservation programs, crop insurance and market development funding.

While this topic seems of little importance to most Americans, it’s simply because they don’t understand how far reaching the policies go to impact nearly every citizen. Remember to always show your support and promote the fact that you are a CAD member with employees who are trained in agriculture.