More Reaction to House Passage of the Farm Bill; E15 Vote Expected in Weeks

This press release from Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) was published on 2026-07-08 and titled "More Reaction to House Passage of the Farm Bill; E15 Vote Expected in Weeks".

More Reaction to House Passage of the Farm Bill; E15 Vote Expected in Weeks

More Reaction to House Passage of the Farm Bill; E15 Vote Expected in Weeks Thursday, April 30, 2026 CG46414 Wednesday, July 8, 2026 American Ag Network More Reaction to House Passage of the Farm Bill; E15 Vote Expected in Weeks By Jesse Allen (WASHINGTON D.C.) — The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 on Thursday morning by a vote of 224-200, delivering the first new five-year farm bill since 2018 and setting up what promises to be a challenging road ahead in the Senate. The bipartisan vote — the product of a chaotic week on Capitol Hill that included debate over hundreds of amendments — drew widespread praise from farm and agriculture groups across the country, who called it a critical step toward restoring certainty for producers facing rising input costs, low commodity prices, and ongoing market volatility. “Today’s House vote is the largest step in eight years towards delivering a farm bill for family farmers, ranchers and rural America,” said National Farmers Union President Rob Larew. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., was credited by virtually every major agricultural organization for shepherding the legislation to passage. A Win for the Farm Safety Net For commodity groups representing everything from wheat and corn to cotton, rice, sorghum and cattle, the bill’s passage was a long-overdue moment of relief. The National Association of Wheat Growers praised provisions modernizing farm credit, permanently transferring Food for Peace to USDA, and reauthorizing both the Conservation Reserve Program and the U.S. Grain Standards Act. National Corn Growers Association President Jed Bower, an Ohio farmer, highlighted the bill’s conservation, trade, credit, rural development, research and energy titles as meaningful wins for growers entering their fourth consecutive year of net losses. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association called the vote a victory for “real farmers and ranchers,” with Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane pointing to bipartisan cooperation as key to getting the bill across the finish line. In a statement, Lane said “instead of caving to attacks on the livestock industry from shell activist groups that impersonate real producers, a bipartisan group of lawmakers advanced a bill that will provide certainty and important policy fixes for cattle country. We look forward to engaging with the Senate to advance this Farm Bill to the president’s desk.” The American Sugar Alliance said the legislation strengthens crop insurance tools for sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers and reaffirms the domestic sugar industry’s role in national food security. USA Rice and National Sorghum Producers echoed similar sentiments, with NSP Chair Amy France calling it an important step forward for producers navigating a difficult economic environment. The National Cotton Council applauded passage but expressed disappointment over an amendment led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna affecting crop protectants, calling access to those agricultural inputs critical for U.S. cotton’s productivity and global competitiveness. NCC also said they look forward to Senate action on the bill and urged Congress to also advance the Buying American Cotton Act (BACA), led by Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), which would strengthen demand for U.S.-grown cotton and support the domestic manufacturing jobs that depend on it. The E15 Question: Promise Made, Fight Not Over Perhaps the most closely watched subplot of the week was the fate of year-round E15 — fuel blended with 15 percent ethanol — which was ultimately stripped from the farm bill before final passage. For corn, sorghum and biofuel advocates, it was a source of real frustration, even as House leaders promised a standalone vote on the measure within the next two weeks. “We look forward to working with our allies in Congress over the next two weeks to secure passage of the E15 legislation,” said NCGA’s Bower. “Thanks to continued efforts on this issue from our biofuel champions, Speaker Johnson promised a vote on E15, and we refuse to allow a handful of multi-million and multi-billion-dollar energy companies to derail our efforts.” Bower added in his statement that “allowing the year-round sale of E15 would help our growers by expanding ethanol sales while also saving consumers money at the pump at a time when fuel prices are on the rise.” He applauded the efforts of numerous House lawmakers including Representative Michelle Fischbach (R-MN) and the 40 bipartisan co-sponsors, including House Rural Domestic Energy Council Co-Chairs Representative Randy Feenstra (R-IA) and Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.), who proposed this legislation and continue to fight for a floor vote. Bower said “we also want to thank specifically Reps. Angie Craig (D-Minn), Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill), Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), Sharice Davids (D-Kan.) and Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) for their support. We are confident that when the vote is