Policy Updates and Issue News April 2026
Agriculture and Food
Farm bill heads to House floor vote
The National Grange joined a group of 451 national and state organizations representing a broad cross-section of the agriculture community to urge swift passage of Farm Bill 2.0 by the House. While the commodity support and crop insurance sections of the farm bill were adopted by Congress last year, the remaining sections are overdue for adoption this year. The House vote is expected by May 1. The Senate Agriculture Committee is expected to consider the farm bill later in May. At a gathering of several hundred farmers and ranchers on the White House lawn recently, President Trump signaled his support for the farm bill and urged Congress to pass it quickly.
Additional farm aid being considered
Congressional agriculture leaders are seriously considering $15-$20 billion in additional farm aid and disaster assistance as farmers are facing rising costs and increasing bankruptcies. These funds would need to be included in a supplemental spending bill later this year.
New World Screwworm Update
In mid-April, the USDA broke ground at Moore Air Force Base in Edinburg, Texas, for a new sterile fly production facility. Sterile fly release in screwworm-infested areas has historically been most effective in reducing and eradicating the pest. The latest screwworm case was discovered about 80 miles south of the Texas border, and the U.S.-Mexico border remains closed to cattle trade because of the screwworm threat. However, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins says there may be a future opportunity to bring cattle through the Douglas, Arizona, port of entry because the closest case of screwworm in Mexico is 800 miles from Arizona.
Drought concern increasing
Drought in the contiguous United States has reached record levels for this time of year, according to weather data. Meteorologists suggest this is a bad sign for the upcoming wildfire season, growing season, western water issues, and food prices. The government’s drought severity index hit its highest level for March since records started in 1895, and March was the third driest month recorded regardless of the time of year.
Support for Wildlife Services
The National Grange and over 200 national and state farm, ranch, airport, pilot, and landowner groups are urging the appropriations committees on the Hill to again fully fund USDA’s Wildlife Services. Wildlife causes more than $12.8 billion in damage to agriculture, natural resources, human health and safety, and private property. Wildlife Services works cooperatively and directly with state agencies, landowners, and producers to protect the public and reduce wildlife-related damage.
Ag Workforce
H-2A Visa Program for Temporary Ag Workers bottlenecks
The National Grange and two dozen agricultural producer organizations are asking Secretary of State Marco Rubio to clear a backlog of ag worker applications stuck in his department. Employers must navigate a multi-agency process involving various state agencies, the Department of Labor, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of State. Both State and DHS have affirmed that waiving in-person interviews for returning, previously vetted H-2A workers serves the national interest. Therefore, the producer groups respectfully urge the administration to immediately authorize the use of interview-waiver authorities for returning H-2A applicants.
Health Care
Rural hospital funds diverted
Large urban hospitals and major teaching hospitals are exploiting a loophole in the Medicare 340B program to increase their bottom lines and further reduce funding for rural hospitals and clinics. The National Grange released a report on a study by Magnolia Market Analysis that shows how a growing number of primarily large urban hospitals are taking advantage of a process that allows them to “dual-classify” as rural to claim government benefits and funding without treating rural patients. Congress created 340B to help rural safety-net hospitals stretch scarce resources. Drug manufacturers are required to sell medicines to participating hospitals at steep discounts with the expectation that hospitals would use the savings to expand care for low-income and uninsured patients. But dual-classified urban hospitals can sell deeply discounted medicines to non-needy patients at steeply marked-up prices and use the profits for financial gain. In 2023, a total of 1,265 hospitals held rural status, but only 672 were true geographically rural hospitals. The National Grange will work with patient groups and Congress to increase 340B program oversight and to tighten program eligibility so that 340B participants are truly safety-net providers serving low-income and uninsured rural patients.
Hamp Op-Ed in RealClear Health
An op ed by National Grange president Chris Hamp in Washington’s RealClear Health newsletter April 22 focused on hospital reclassification and its impact on rural patients. Rural hospitals receive special payment protections under Medicare because they serve smaller, older, underinsured, and uninsured populations. But recently, large geography urban hospitals have used a Medicare loophole to reclassify themselves as administratively rural to gain access to rural-only Medicare funds. “Every dollar redirected to a dual-classified urban hospital is a dollar not available to prevent the next rural closure”, said Hamp.
Alzheimer’s crisis in rural areas
The National Grange released a study by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation that examined how rural Americans face a disproportionate and growing burden from Alzheimer’s disease. This is driven by structural barriers that delay diagnosis, limit access to emerging therapies, and impose staggering costs on patients, caregivers, and rural health systems. “This report lays out both the scale of the problem and the path forward”, according to National Grange president Chris Hamp. “Geography should never determine whether anyone receives a diagnosis in time to benefit from treatment----and right now, it does.” The good news is that scalable, affordable diagnostic solutions already exist; they simply lack the federal policy framework to reach the communities that need them most. The National Grange will work with patient groups, providers, and Congress to ensure rural patients and providers can access and afford these diagnostics and treatments.
Telecommunications
House passes FirstNet reauthorization bill
By unanimous vote in the House, the First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act will now move to the Senate. FirstNet is the nationwide first responder network designed by first responders and operated by AT&T under a contract with the Commerce Department. The National Grange is a strong supporter of FirstNet.
Broadband bills get House approval
A plethora of broadband bills were adopted by the House this past week, including bills that would:
- Require stronger vetting of broadband providers participating in the Universal Service Fund (low-income, low-cost).
- Require an “interagency strike force” among all federal land management
agencies to prioritize and speed permitting requests.
- Reauthorize rural telehealth grant programs through 2030.
These bills had strong support from the National Grange.
AI could mean job losses
Verizon CEO Dan Schulman predicts that AI could lead to 20-30% unemployment within the next five years. Advancements in humanoid robots could disrupt manual labor jobs, which have been considered relatively safe until now. He advocates for more education and reskilling initiatives to help workers cope.
Of Interest
Support for farmer and rancher mental health
The National Grange joined the National Farmer Veteran Coalition, the American Farm Bureau, the National Farmers Union, and 29 other rural and agricultural groups to request continued funding for the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network. In a letter to the appropriations committees on the Hill, the group thanked Congress for its past funding support and requested that FRSAN be funded at no less than $10 million in FY27. The group noted that FRSAN supports four region-specific centers that include telephone helplines, websites, training programs, workshops, support groups, and outreach services, all of which are rural-centric.
John Deere settles right to repair
Deere has agreed to pay $99 million and provide equipment owners with access to “repair resources” to settle a class-action lawsuit over the company’s repair practices. Deere will make repair resources available to owners, lessors, and independent repair shops on a license or subscription basis. The settlement gives farmers the ability to diagnose and repair problems without requiring to use the services of an authorized dealer.
Perspectives
“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you tale your eyes off your goal.” ~ Henry Ford
Alone we can do little; together we can do much. ~ Helen Keller
We were born to unite with our fellow man, and to join in community with the human race. ~ Cicero
This world of ours must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect. ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower
It’s all about being a part of something in the community, socializing with people who share interests and coming together to help improve the world we live in. ~ Zach Braff