House Passes New Farm Bill but Questions Ahead

The U.S. House of Representatives returned from a break, passed a new Farm Bill during a chaotic week, and then left for another break as farmers and ranchers wait to see what the U.S. Senate will do with that legislation and what both chambers will do with yet another delayed vote for an issue that some agricultural-heavy states say is critical: year-round E15 sales.

The Farm Bill passed the U.S. House 224-200 on Thursday, a bipartisan effort (14 Democrats joined all but three of the majority Republicans) in a highly politicized time in Washington, D.C. The complexity of the traditional five-year legislation previously led to a three-year failure under both the Biden and Trump administrations to pass a new agreement that covers numerous agriculture, conservation, and food assistance programs.

Among the provisions:

• Reauthorizes food and agricultural programs for five years

• Maintains $187 billion cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

• $60 billion increase for farm subsidies

RELATED: Here is what U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said in 2024 about a version of a new Farm Bill that Congress had been considering.

Liability Protection for Pesticide Manufacturers Removed from Farm Bill

Much of the drama of the week involved an effort to provide additional protection to pesticide manufacturers, like Bayer, something strongly opposed by supporters of the Make America Healthy Again movement (MAHA).

They allege that glyphosate -- the chemical widely used in pesticides like Bayer’s Roundup that is used to prevent and kill weeds -- could be harmful to people, something that Bayer disputes. 

U.S. Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida) led the effort to strip pesticide manufacturer protection out of the final version of the Farm Bill.

She said in a statement following Thursday’s vote:

I do not support giving blanket immunity to corporations at the expense of American families,” said Congresswoman Luna. “Pesticides are linked to a 30% increase in childhood cancer and over 170 studies corroborate the evidence. This amendment ensures we stand on the side of the American people and the health of our nation, not corporate interests.”

Bayer expressed disappointment that Congress took out the additional protections for pesticide manufacturers. Bayer has already paid out billions of dollars in class-action lawsuits following health complaints about people who say they got sick after exposure to their products.

“By taking this vote, Congress has turned their backs on U.S. farmers in an increasingly competitive global landscape by allowing blatant misinformation to undermine support for this critical provision,” Bayer’s statement to CNBC read. “The removal of this language could result in a patchwork of regulations creating ambiguity — at a time where clarity is needed most.”

E15 Provision Removed from Farm Bill

The back-and-forth about whether to add liability protections for pesticide manufacturers was not the only source of tension. Farm state lawmakers also say language removed in the final Farm Bill that could have finally guaranteed year-round sales of E15 fuel, something that advocates have tried to get for years.

The decision marks yet another setback for supporters who keep seeing stalled efforts on year-round E15 despite assurances that something would happen. This time, advocates found out that a vote on year-round E15 could happen when the House returns from its latest recess in two weeks.

The other uncertainty is whether the U.S. Senate will agree to the Farm Bill approved by the House or if senators will debate their own legislation.

RELATED: American Farmland Owner followed what Congress did at the end of 2024 when it could not agree a new five-year Farm Bill.