Policy Updates and Issue News July 2026
Agriculture and Food
Senate farm bill action expected
Farmers and ranchers have been anticipating Senate action on farm bill 2.0 for a while. The House passed its version of the legislation in May. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Boozman has postponed action in his committee while he attempts to resolve a few issues in the House bill that could endanger the bill’s passage. The first is a provision to nullify California’s Proposition 12 that imposes animal welfare restrictions on pork raised in other states and sold in California. Another sticking point is a proposal to exempt federally approved pesticides from state pesticide laws. As well, several Democratic members of the committee are pushing for restoration of SNAP (food stamps) benefits. Boozman says he still hopes for committee action by August 1. Congress will be in recess the entire months of August and October. If farm bill 2.0 doesn’t see full Senate floor action in September, it will have to wait for the lame duck session after the midterm elections. Farm bill 2.0 completes action on a new farm bill that began with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year.
Administration addresses heavy metals and other contaminants in food
The USDA, HHS, and EPA have updated their memorandum of understanding to protect consumers from contaminants in the food supply. For decades, these departments have shared efforts to monitor and regulate meat, poultry, and egg products. The new agreement will adopt new methods to better detect and address potential food contaminant risks.
Support available for small and mid-size beef processors
The USDA will provide additional financial support for eligible beef processing facilities. A total of $500 million is now available to support stronger and more stable market opportunities for beef producers. Payments to processors are intended to help establishments that have faced increased costs of acquiring cattle for processing due to the abnormally low numbers of cattle raised in the U.S. at this time.
Ag Workforce
New ag labor bill introduced
The National Grange applauds the introduction of H.R. 9535, the Saving Our Agricultural Workforce Act, by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Thompson and numerous bipartisan cosponsors. The legislation reforms the H-2A ag worker visa program to lessen administrative red tape, reduce worker procurement costs, allow workers to move among employers, provide for year-round workers, and further streamline the H-2A program. The National Grange has been working with the Ag Workforce Coalition for over four years to get ag worker legislation to this point.
Small producers still need ag labor
The H-2A visa program was designed for large operations that need large numbers of ag workers. Even if the Thompson ag worker bill becomes law, the H-2A process will still be relatively expensive, an administrative challenge, and could present several uncertainties regarding implementation. The National Grange has advocated for a simple small producer program patterned after the old Bracero visa program that was so popular in the U.S. from 1942 to 1964. It allowed Mexican men to enter the country with a visa to work agricultural and railroad jobs. A small producer ag worker opportunity was not included in the Thompson bill because the administration is not interested in creating an ag worker program outside the H-2A.
Health Care
Affordability causing rural residents to fall behind on cancer screenings
Only 48% of rural adults have had a routine medical visit or cancer screening in the past year. That is compared to 56% of urban and suburban adults, revealing a widening rural disparity gap. This survey by independent research firm Atomik Research, included screenings for breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, oral, prostate, skin, and testicular cancers. A critical barrier for rural respondents accessing preventive care is cost, with nearly four in ten saying they are behind on screenings because they cannot afford them. The survey indicated ways to reduce barriers could be mobile screening units and connecting people to financial assistance.
National Grange files addiction comments
The National Grange responded to a request from the Department of Health and Human Services to file comments on chronic disease addiction. The Grange stated that alcohol use disorder (AUD) was a chronic disease that disproportionately affects rural communities. People living in rural America face barriers to prevention, treatment, and recovery, including limited access to providers, long distances to care, and the stigma that can surround substance use and mental health conditions. The Grange recommended that HHS should develop rural-targeted public awareness campaigns that elevate AUD as a treatable disease, reduce the stigma that keeps rural families from asking for help, expand evidence-based screening in primary care settings, and ensure federal programs meet rural Americans where they are.
Right to Repair
John Deere settles antitrust suit
John Deere agreed to make the same repair tools used by its dealers available to farmers and independent repair shops under a proposed settlement agreement filed July 8 to end an antitrust lawsuit brought by the Federal Trade Commission and five state attorneys general. Deere agreed to make available tools for reading and resetting electronic fault codes, reprogramming electronic components, restarting machines following emissions-related shutdowns, viewing technical manuals, troubleshooting solutions, and other repairs. The settlement requires the company to submit compliance reports every 60 days during the initial repair resources rollout with yearly reports over the next 10 years. Earlier this year, Deere also agreed to pay $99 million and provide equipment owners with access to repair resources to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by farmers over the company’s repair practices. Right-to-repair has been a long-term policy priority for the National Grange.
Trade
Global tariffs to end
President Trump’s 10% global tariffs expired July 24. These tariffs could be extended by an act of Congress, but no action has been taken, and there doesn’t appear to be momentum in Congress at this point to extend tariffs. The President has touted tariffs as a key negotiating tool to achieve his “America First” trade agenda. Since entering office, the administration has entered into approximately 20 trade agreements or frameworks to open markets for U.S. farmers.
Of Interest
Large benefit cuts loom for Social Security and Medicare
The Social Security retirement program is just six years from insolvency according to the program’s trustees. At that point, the law requires benefits to be reduced by 22% at the start of 2033 to ensure the program’s costs do not exceed its revenues after the retirement fund is exhausted. Later that same year, the Medicare Hospital Insurance trust fund is projected to become insolvent, cutting spending by 11%, which will threaten retirees’ health care access. Congress has kicked the Social Security and Medicare insolvency cans down the road for decades. Now, as Social Security and Medicare enter crisis mode, will Congress have the fortitude to act to prevent these massive cuts?
Perspectives on Farming
“The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways.” - John F. Kennedy
“Farming is a profession of hope.” - Brian Brett
“No race can prosper until it learns there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem.” - Booker T. Washington
“Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness.” - Thomas Jefferson
“I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.” - George Washington