The One Big Beautiful Bill Act included over $65 billion of new spending for agriculture. It increased reference prices, expanded crop insurance coverage options, boosted funding for trade and research, and made many tax cuts important to farmers permanent. However, work still needs to be done on passing the rest of the Farm Bill, what many are calling a “Skinny Farm Bill”.
Duane Simpson, President and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives says, “I think that the things that are left in the farm bill are generally non-controversial. These are things that are supported by both political parties. Both parties support Farm Credit, both parties support conservation, both parties support young farmer grant programs, both parties support buy-America programs. It’s unfortunate that the coalition wasn’t able to stay together to pass a farm bill like we’ve done in the past years for the full bill, but I do think that this is an opportunity to bring people back together and it’s the best opportunity to mend the coalition so that we can have future farm bills down the road.”
Critics say the skinny bill is a missed opportunity to address climate change and help small farmers struggling with rising costs. Supporters, however, argue it’s a necessary step to avoid disruption and buy more time for negotiation.
“Right now, what we’re hearing is the House is going to start probably a little sooner, hoping to get it done in September,” Simpson says. “In the Senate, Senator Bozeman has said he hopes to have it finished by the end of the year,”
If passed, the skinny bill would extend key programs through 2025 — giving Congress another shot at a comprehensive update.
