House Agriculture Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson floated the highest figure yet for additional farm aid: $20 billion to help farmers manage surging production costs.
Thompson, R-Pa., tells Agri-Pulse he's looking at $10 billion for row crop producers and $10 billion for specialty crop growers. He also wants $200 million for sawmills, infrastructure and forestry.
“That's what I'm advocating for. I think that's what we need,” Thompson said.
The rescue funds would add to $12 billion from the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program unveiled in December to help farmers stay afloat until recently updated ag safety net programs take effect in October. The aid was disbursed in response to trade market disruptions and surging costs for farm inputs like fertilizer.
Since then, ag groups have sounded alarms that the financial outlook has weakened amid the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushing up prices for fuel, shipping and fertilizer.
On the sidelines of the Senate chamber Wednesday, Senate Ag Committee Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., told Agri-Pulse he hadn’t discussed the $20 billion figure with Thompson, but said he’s “open to getting as much aid as we need.”
“Certainly, with the fertilizer prices, the increase in diesel, all those things, you can make a good case that you might need some additional funding,” Boozman said.
Senate Ag Appropriations Subcommittee Chair John Hoeven, R-N.D., said he’s eyeing “about a $17 billion range [for additional farm aid], give or take. And then how much would be allocated to row crops and special crops is something that's a work in progress.”
Hoeven said $10 billion for specialty crop growers is “very high. That's the highest number I've heard.”
While Thompson didn’t provide details on a legislative vehicle to move the aid, Hoeven said a supplemental spending bill is likely, but a third reconciliation bill could be another avenue.
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“If we put the California wildfire funding in there [a supplemental spending bill],” Hoeven explained, “I think it's pretty hard for the Democrats to vote no.”
Hoeven said $7 billion to $15 billion in disaster aid to support both agriculture and wildfire disaster losses is being discussed, but a figure hasn’t been finalized yet. It would be separate from the additional farm aid, although both measures could move in the same vehicle.
Farm bill future
Thompson also said the partial farm bill approved by the House Ag Committee last month is set to get a full chamber vote by the end of April. The measure garnered the support of seven Democrats in the committee.
While many farm bill elements were included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last summer, the House-passed farm bill carries a few controversial provisions like overturning California’s Proposition 12 animal welfare standard and passing legislation to protect pesticide manufacturers from lawsuits.
Thompson said the Proposition 12 and pesticide provisions have been sticking points in the House, though he noted the issues are “more of an issue on the Senate side.” He added that “Senator Boozman will do what he needs to do to get 60 votes in the Senate.”
Thompson said both Republican and some Democrat members of the committee are helping to garner support in the lower chamber, though he didn’t provide an estimate of how many Democrats would back the bill.
"I'm very optimistic going into the markup of the farm bill on the House floor," Thompson said.
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