April 30, 2025
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National Taxpayers Union (NTU) urges all representatives to vote “No” on H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (the “Farm Bill.”)
H.R. 7567 (the Farm Bill) is a missed opportunity to implement taxpayer-friendly reforms to farm safety net programs. NTU has encouraged Congress to include reforms that are largely missing from H.R. 7567.
U.S. food assistance programs apply clearly defined income limits and work requirements for recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Congress should similarly ensure that farm payments do not subsidize high-income farmers or those who are not actively engaged in farming. The American Enterprise Institute estimates that about 60% of farm subsidies in 2026 will go to the largest 10% of crop-producing farms and some large livestock operations. These operations will receive an average of $225,000 per farm.
This illustrates the need for better means testing of farm subsidies. One such reform supported by NTU is the Assisting Family Farmers through Insurance Reform Measures (AFFIRM) Act, introduced by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH). The AFFIRM Act could save $40 billion over five years by capping crop insurance subsidies at $40,000 per farmer per year and eliminating crop insurance premium subsidies for individuals who earn more than $250,000.
NTU also supports supply-side efforts to help farmers by reducing taxes and regulations that make it harder for them to succeed. For example, the farm bill could provide an opportunity outside of traditional trade legislation to address the harm inflicted on farmers by tariffs on goods like fertilizer, steel, aluminum, and lumber. The imposition of such tariffs should require congressional approval.
Congress should also modernize trade laws to require federal agencies to consider the impact of tariffs on supposedly “unfair” imports on farmers. This would discourage actions that harm farmers like the tariffs currently in effect on phosphate fertilizer from Morocco.
Removing tax, regulatory, and tariff barriers will help all farmers and ranchers. Continuing to provide subsidies that disproportionately benefit a relatively small number of producers is a misguided approach. At a time of skyrocketing deficits and federal debt, Congress should take every opportunity to reduce federal spending. H.R. 7567 fails to do so.
Roll call votes on the Farm Bill will be weighted in NTU’s annual Rating of Congress and “NO” votes will be considered the pro-taxpayer position.
If you have any questions, please contact Director of NTU’s Free Trade Initiative Bryan Riley at briley@ntu.org.