by Ryan Hanrahan, University of Illinois’ FarmDoc project
Urbana, IL — Agri-Pulse’s Philip Brasher reported that “a new stopgap spending bill that would reopen the government includes a one-year extension of farm bill programs that were left out of a budget reconciliation bill earlier in the year.”
“The continuing resolution, which would keep the government funded through Jan. 30, also would suspend the permanent agricultural laws that are left on the books to prod Congress to continue reauthorizing commodity programs,” Brasher reported. “The CR also would extend the Grain Standards Act until Jan. 30. The law authorizes USDA to carry out official inspection and weighing services. The Senate voted 60-40 Sunday night to advance the legislation.”
“The One Big Beautiful Bill enacted in July increased funding for commodity programs, crop insurance, foreign market promotion and other programs but left the Conservation Reserve Program and some smaller programs without new authorization,” Brasher reported. “The CR also would reverse any firings of federal employees that the Trump administration has carried out since the government partially closed at the beginning of fiscal 2026 on Oct. 1 and prohibit RIFs while the CR is in effect.”
What’s in the Senate Bill to Reopen the Government?
Politico’s Jordain Carney reported that “the Senate voted to break the shutdown stalemate Sunday, paving the way for the government to reopen as soon as later this week. The 60-40 vote to take the first step toward ending the shutdown came hours after enough Democrats agreed to support a package that would fund multiple agencies and programs for the full fiscal year, and all others until Jan. 30, 2026.”
“In exchange, Democrats have a commitment from the Trump administration to rehire government workers fired at the start of the funding lapse, and the promise of a Senate floor vote in December on legislation to extend expiring Obamacare tax credits,” Carney reported. “In the end, eight members of the Senate Democratic Caucus voted Sunday night to advance the House-passed stopgap, which is being used as a vehicle for the larger funding deal.”
“The vote will pave the way for consideration later this week of a legislative package that would fund the Department of Agriculture and the FDA, the Department of Veterans Affairs and military construction projects, and the operations of Congress for all of current fiscal year — the product of months of bipartisan, bicameral negotiations between top appropriators,” Carney reported. “All other agencies would be funded through Jan. 30, according to the text of a continuing resolution released Sunday. The agreement still needs to pass the House before the government can be reopened.”
Full USDA Spending Bill Also Released
E&E News’ Manuel Quiรฑones and Andres Picon reported that “congressional appropriators have released the first final spending bills of the fiscal 2026 cycle, including legislation to fund the Department of Agriculture. …The Agriculture-FDA bill includes $26.7 billion in discretionary spending and rejects many cuts proposed by the White House and House appropriators.”
“Senate Democrats said the bill would provide $903 million for conservation programs while rejecting the White House’s call to scrap discretionary funding for conservation technical assistance,” Quiรฑones and Picon reported.
Agri-Pulse’s Brasher reported in a different article that “the House-Senate compromise bill released Sunday also would direct USDA to work with the State Department to prepare a process to transfer the Food for Peace food aid program from State to USDA. The former U.S. Agency for International Development had managed the delivery of food commodities.”
“Agricultural research programs would get $3.8 billion, including $1.8 billion for the Agricultural Research Service and $1.7 billion for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, while cutting funding for USDA’s climate hubs,” Brasher reported. “USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service would be funded at $1.2 billion for APHIS, the same amount requested by the White House, and the agency would get $13.5 million to help ranchers offset the cost of electronic ID tags. The legislation also retains a longstanding prohibition of the closure of Farm Service Agency field offices.”
