House Passes First Full Farm Bill in Eight Years
Steve Hallstrom
Special to The Farmer
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 last week by a bipartisan vote of 224-200 - marking the first time the House has passed a full five-year Farm Bill since 2018. The legislation now heads to the Senate, where no timeline for passage has been announced.
The bill strengthens the traditional farm safety net, expands access to credit and risk management tools, streamlines working lands conservation programs, and protects interstate commerce for livestock producers. For North Dakota farmers who have weathered years of uncertainty under a series of short-term extensions, the vote was welcomed news.
North Dakota Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak voted in favor of the legislation and played a direct role in shaping it. “Getting a full five-year Farm Bill passed in the House for the first time since 2018 is a major win for agriculture and for North Dakota,” Fedorchak said. “Our producers need certainty, not short-term extensions, and this bill delivers. It strengthens the farm safety net, locks in key improvements we’ve fought for, and gives farmers and ranchers the tools they need to manage risk, invest in their operations, and plan for the future.”
One of Fedorchak’s tangible wins in the legislation came from an idea that started not in Washington, but one she says started on a North Dakota farm. She successfully secured passage of an amendment directing the Secretary of Agriculture to study the feasibility of providing storage facility loans to producers for on-farm fertilizer storage - a proposal inspired by a North Dakota farmer who shared the idea directly with Fedorchak during a meeting in her Washington, D.C. Office.
For the full story, visit www.watfordcitynd.com and subscribe to the McKenzie County Farmer today!