House Farm Bill Doesn’t Address Farm Challenges, Critics Warn
March 10, 2026 | Source: Civil Eats | by Rebekah Alvey
Farm and food groups have urged Congress for years to act on a full five-year farm bill, in hopes of providing more certainty to the U.S. food system. Farm bill discussions resumed in Congress last week, but experts say the existing proposals won’t address the complex challenges facing farmers and rural communities.
The House Agriculture Committee advanced a proposed farm bill last week—a set of legislative proposals that have traditionally balanced the social safety net around food with the needs of farmers and other food producers. Although a farm bill is typically passed every five years, Congress has failed to pass a new package since the last farm bill expired, in 2023.
Last year, some of the largest programs that are usually included in the farm bill were instead rolled into the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB). The House’s new farm bill largely includes provisions from a 2024 draft that were left out of the OBBB—and that have bipartisan support.