House lawmakers advanced a farm bill in March that would spend more than $1 trillion over a decade without putting a dent in the U.S.’s massive spending deluge.
The legislation seeks to leave in place SNAP policy changes first implemented in the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) in July 2025, while expanding federal control over pesticide labeling and directing additional funding to broadband, climate and conservation initiatives. The bill also includes a provision affecting ranchers, setting up a possible showdown between rival factions of GOP lawmakers.
Compared to the previous Farm Bill passed in 2018, which was projected to cost roughly $867 billion over a decade, spending has remained relatively unchanged, shifting funds instead of making noticeable cuts.
“No big increase, but no real cuts,” Bryan Riley, director of the free trade initiative at the National Taxpayers Union, told the Daily Caller News Foundation, describing the bill as a “glass half full” approach that avoids major spending hikes but falls short of meaningful reductions.
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