Policy Update

The 2023 Farm Bill in 2026?

House Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson (R-Penn.) announced his intention to introduce and advance a new Farm Bill in the last week of February. While many Farm Bill provisions were signed into law last July in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Chair Thompson’s bill will likely include provisions strengthening risk management, improving market access, modernizing agriculture programs, and providing additional farmer aid. Bill text is not yet available, but NFBC is prepared to analyze new bill language for Tribal priorities.

Government Funding

Congress is running out of time to pass the final six appropriations bills to avert a partial government shutdown at 12:01am on Jan. 31. The remaining bills fund key federal departments including Health and Human Services, Treasury, Defense, and Homeland Security. However, if Congress is able to reach an agreement over the weekend, the impacts of the partial shutdown should be minimal. Full year funding for the USDA and the Department of Interior have already been signed into law.

USDA Reorganization

USDA has announced that they will begin relocating staff from the Washington D.C. area this summer. USDA has also begun negotiations for leases in the new five regional hub locations: Raleigh, NC; Kansas City, MO; Indianapolis, IN; Fort Collins, CO; and Salt Lake City, UT. An estimated 20,000 USDA staff have left since the start of 2024.