House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson laid out his Farm Bill 2.0 priorities during remarks at this year’s annual meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, signaling that he is prepared to move forward quickly and confront politically sensitive issues head-on.
Speaking to state agriculture commissioners, federal agency leaders, and a broad range of industry stakeholders, Thompson said his Farm Bill 2.0 draft is designed to address unfinished policy work left after billions in agricultural funding were enacted last July. He framed the effort as both a continuation of that work and a reset aimed at modernizing farm policy for today’s production and economic realities.
“We’re modernizing the credit title to help more producers have access to the capital that they need. We’re addressing a patchwork of state regulations that have sprung up over the years and overburdened producers. We’re expanding investment into America’s rural communities, making sure that they don’t get left behind.”
Thompson told attendees that his goal is to advance a full farm bill through the House Agriculture Committee later this month, arguing that timing is critical for producers facing ongoing financial pressure, regulatory uncertainty, and market volatility.
“We all need a new farm bill. So, I’m going to ask you to keep that in mind as we go into the next couple of weeks and we get this thing across the finish line. The single most impactful thing that we can do to get everyone in agriculture back on track is passing a full five-year farm bill that brings modern policy to the table.”
However, that timeline is already drawing skepticism from House Agriculture Committee Democrats, who have raised concerns about controversial policy provisions following earlier Republican proposals to generate SNAP savings to bolster farm programs. Some Democrats have signaled they want to avoid provisions they believe could derail bipartisan support for the legislation.
Thompson made clear he is not inclined to sidestep those debates, emphasizing that his role as chairman requires him to advocate aggressively for producers, even when the policy choices are politically difficult.
“There’s been some talk from my Democratic colleagues on the committee about wanting to avoid any controversial provisions in a new farm bill. And I respect them for not wanting to pick fights. But, as chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, I see it as my responsibility to fight for the American farmer and the American rancher, whether it’s controversial or not.”
In addition to outlining future priorities, Thompson expressed frustration with the timing of recently approved funding. He noted that producers will have to wait until October, at the start of the next fiscal year, to receive roughly $65 billion authorized under last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Of that total, Thompson said approximately $59 billion is earmarked for core farm safety net improvements, underscoring what he described as a disconnect between urgent on-farm needs and the pace of federal funding delivery.
