"After days of debate and disagreements, the House Committee on Agriculture on Thursday passed its version of the 2026 Farm Bill, which includes controversial provisions critics say will hamper the ability of states to put in place strict rules for pesticides and animal welfare.
The “Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026” passed Thursday morning with a 34-17 vote. Seven Democrats joined all 27 Republicans on the committee in a yes vote. The Farm Bill is a massive piece of legislation renewed roughly every five years that guides the federal government’s food and farm policy. The 2026 version, which spans 802 pages, touches on everything from subsidies and trade restrictions to pesticide regulation and livestock conditions, and has drawn widespread criticism over its industry-friendly provisions and environmental rollbacks both for farm chemicals and animal welfare protections.
House Committee on Agriculture chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, a Republican from Pennsylvania, shepherded the legislation through the markup over the past few days, in which the committee debated late in the evenings. Thompson stressed that the legislation was bipartisan and “restores regulatory certainty in the interstate marketplace, expands investments in rural communities, and brings science-backed management back to our national forests.”
“This proposal includes the bipartisan policy improvements to assist beginning farmers, advance soil health initiatives, protect private forest lands, and fund advancements in conservation technology,” Thompson said in his opening statement on Tuesday. “This title is widely supported by farmers, ranchers, foresters, sportsmen, and the environmental community.”"
