(The Center Square) – With the Senate planning to recess this weekend for the entire month of August, multiple state agriculture groups are urging the Senate to immediately adopt Republicans’ $95 billion budget resolution.
“On behalf of the 27 agricultural producers and organizations that support farmers, ranchers and growers that comprise the Florida Ag Coalition, I urge the U.S. Senate to advance without delay the budget reconciliation legislation that includes, at a minimum, $12 billion in agricultural assistance approved by the U.S. House of Representatives,” Florida Ag Coalition Chairman Tripp Hunter said in a statement.
“We are grateful to President Trump for his leadership and for his commitment to championing American agriculture. His call for Congress to provide an additional $12 billion recognizes the challenges facing farm and ranch families and helps chart a path forward for our nation's food security and economic stability.”
Besides the $12 billion in farm aid, the budget reconciliation framework directs $73 billion for defense spending and $10 billion to incentivize states to implement policies from a White House-endorsed voter ID bill, the SAVE America Act.
The $10 billion earmark would likely go toward creating a federal fund incentivizing states to enforce stricter election security measures themselves.
Agricultural organizations from Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, Kentucky, and others have expressed support for the bill, which comes as the long-overdue federal farm bill has stalled in the Senate.
“Due to persistent financial challenges across the agricultural economy, the President has called on Congress to deliver additional farmer assistance this year, and the House of Representatives answered the call with $12 billion for U.S. agriculture in reconciliation,” Eric Mayberry, President of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, stated.
“TFBF supports the advancement of this Budget Resolution in the Senate, which will provide critical relief to enhance the farm safety net.”
The U.S. lost more than 156,000 farms between 2017 and 2025, according to 2026 U.S. Census data. From 2024 to 2025 alone, farm bankruptcy filings jumped by 46%, the Farm Bureau reported.
Total farm debt is projected to break records in 2026, reaching roughly $625 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “U.S. farm sector financial indicators” report. Total production costs for farmers are projected to top $478 billion this year.