In one of the last acts of the 118th Congress, lawmakers passed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the U.S. government that includes a one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill, aid for those impacted by natural disasters and economic assistance for farmers.
The CR (American Relief Act, 2025) passed the U.S. House Dec. 20 in a 366-34-1 vote. The Senate passed the resolution shortly after in an 85-11 vote. President Biden signed the legislation on Dec. 21.
The CR funds the government through March 14. It allocates $30.78 billion to the secretary of agriculture to be disseminated for expenses related to the loss of revenue, quality or production of crops due to droughts, wildfires, hurricanes and other natural disasters for calendar years 2023 and 2024. It also includes $10 billion in the form of economic assistance for farmers.
“Farm Bureau thanks the House and Senate for finding common ground and passing legislation that will keep the government open and help farmers who are struggling with natural disasters, high supply costs and out-of-reach interest rates,” American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said. “For many farmers, the disaster relief provided through the CR will be the difference between planting for another year or going out of business.”
The CR also allows the U.S. secretary of agriculture to provide assistance, via block grants, to compensate farmers who suffered losses as a result of Mexico’s failure to deliver water to the United States as outlined in the 1944 Water Treaty.
“South Texas farmers have endured immense hardships due to Mexico’s continued violations of the 1944 Water Treaty,” Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (R-TX) said. “Securing and maintaining these block grants was a top priority because our agricultural producers urgently need this support to recover and rebuild. This victory ensures they have the resources to overcome the challenges caused by Mexico’s treaty violations and continue to thrive. This helps our local farmers and is a win for Texas and the entire nation.”
The CR Congress passed did not include a provision allowing year-round E15 sales nationwide.
“It’s unfortunate that the final measure did not include authorization for year-round E-15 sales, which benefits farmers, leads to lower fuel prices and helps America reach its sustainability goals. We will continue to push for this in 2025,” Duvall said.
The resolution allows the secretary of agriculture to use up to $30 million for imbursements for administrative and operating expenses available for crop insurance contracts for 2022 and 2024 reinsurance years.
The CR extends the 2018 farm bill, which expired Sept. 30, by another year.
Glenn “GT” Thompson, who will continue to serve as chair of the House Ag Committee in 2025, indicated he hopes to take up the farm bill in the first quarter of the new year.
“The economic and disaster assistance in the CR is a temporary fix to long-term challenges facing America’s farmers. The farm bill extension also offers a short reprieve and gives lawmakers some breathing room to pass a modernized farm bill that will provide risk management support,” Duvall said. “We urge them to build on the bipartisan efforts demonstrated during the CR to pass a new five-year farm bill that delivers certainty for rural America and ensures a stable food supply for the nation.”
Source: Texas Farm Bureau
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