Ag Legislators Look Ahead to “Skinny” Farm Bill this Fall

Editor’s note: This post has been updated to reflect the position of House Ag Democrat leadership on the chances of passing a standalone farm bill. An earlier version misstated that position. We regret the error.

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Politico’s Grace Yarrow reported that “after clearing their agriculture megabill hurdle, Republicans are looking to pass a smaller farm bill that includes some key policies that haven’t been updated since the last farm bill was passed in 2018.”

“Lawmakers already included $67 billion in spending farm bill programs in the reconciliation package, meaning some of the most expensive (and controversial GOP priorities) have already been handled,” Yarrow reported. “That leaves a key group of other farm programs that need to be extended, funded or updated, though House Ag Chair G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.) said he expects the ‘farm bill 2.0’ to cost less than $8 billion.”

“Thompson told MA last week that he’s focused on including bipartisan bills in the next farm bill package, largely based on what the House Ag Committee advanced in May 2024,” Yarrow reported. “‘Unless [Democrats] purely want to play politics, there’s no basis for partisanship with what we’re going to do in the farm bill, the remaining portion,’ Thompson said.”

Agri-Pulse’s Philip Brasher reported that when “asked about his timetable for committee action, (Thompson) said, ‘September … Let’s get this, get this out of the way so it can start to work for the American farmer.'”

What Priorities Remain for Skinny Farm Bill?

Brasher reported that “issues that would be addressed in what Thompson calls ‘farm bill 2.0’ include controversial provisions to address concerns around industrial hemp, lawsuits against pesticide manufacturers, and California’s Proposition 12 regulations on sow housing.“

“Other issues that need to be addressed include reauthorization of the Conservation Reserve Program; limits for USDA direct and guaranteed loans; rural broadband assistance; and a provision to trigger permanent price-support laws if existing commodity programs are allowed to lapse after 2031,” Brasher reported. “Thompson also said there are several nutrition assistance issues he wants to address, including expanding SNAP eligibility for ex-convicts and families of young adults who are still in school and whose income counts toward their family eligibility for SNAP.”

The One Big Beautiful Bill delivered real wins for farmers and ranchers, but our work isn’t done.

Farm Bill 2.0 is on track to finish the job, delivering even more solutions for rural America at a lower cost to taxpayers. pic.twitter.com/9AUKjuiaIB

— House Committee on Agriculture (@HouseAgGOP) July 8, 2025

“Thompson said he also wants to modify SNAP eligibility requirements to eliminate a ‘poverty cliff,'” Brasher reported. “‘Instead of pulling the rug out from underneath these folks as they start to do better, let’s keep supporting them until they’re financially independent of the government,’ he said.”

Democrat Support Uncertain

Yarrow reported that “Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), the (House Ag) committee’s ranking member, has cautioned that the GOP’s megabill would jeopardize chances of a ‘complete, five-year farm bill that can withstand the political polarization in Congress.‘”

“‘Republicans have abandoned the bipartisan farm bill coalition by hollowing out the Nutrition Title and are taking billions from the farm bill to fund tax breaks for wealthy individuals and large corporations,’ she said,” according to Yarrow’s reporting. “GOP lawmakers are betting that Democrats will offer some support, though, for a less-controversial farm bill that simply extends some programs and boosts funding for bipartisan priorities.”

Brownfield Ag News’ Kellan Heavican reported that “National Farmers Union President Rob Larew tells Brownfield the legislation may have complicated the path forward for a ‘skinny’ farm bill. ‘The big remaining question, besides whether or not we’ll be able to get that across the finish line is what is the impact of the OBBB on the Farm Bill coalition, the necessary kind of support that is usually required to get a farm bill across the finish line.'”

Yarrow reported that it’s important to “keep an eye on those House Ag Democrats who are facing competitive reelection bids in 2026, including Craig, who’s running for Senate. ‘From a politics perspective, we’ve got members in two years that need to run for reelection or run for a higher office,’ Thompson said. ‘I wouldn’t want to be voting against [the skinny farm bill].'”