Congress must pass farm bill and deliver results for all Hoosiers 

By U.S. Rep. Jim Baird (R-Dist. 4) 

Agriculture is the foundation of rural communities, and it is an honor to help protect Indiana’s farmers and producers. I am proud to represent a district where agriculture is the heart of our economy. 

The farmers in Indiana’s Fourth District help supply the food that feeds our nation and the world. I know firsthand that farming comes with significant risk and tight margins, and our farmers deserve a Congress that provides them with the tools they need and the economic certainty to plan ahead. 

One of my top priorities has been working on a full, five-year farm bill, and I am proud to say that after months of hard work and deliberation, the 2026 Farm Bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives on a bipartisan basis. 

This bill, also known as the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026, was truly crafted with our farmers in mind. It builds on the historic investments in the Working Families Tax Cuts (H.R. 1) by strengthening the farm safety net, making the small business tax credit permanent, expanding crop insurance, increasing reference prices, investing in livestock biosecurity measures, improving standing livestock disaster programs, and restoring integrity and accountability to our federal nutrition programs. 

These were critical measures for our farmers, but Congress could not make much-needed policy changes. We needed a farm bill to do that. 

I am proud of the work I have done in creating this legislation, and multiple of my priorities were included. The Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 invests in agricultural research so that our farmers remain at the forefront of cutting-edge innovation and technology and includes my legislation, the NSF and USDA Interagency Research Act, to promote interagency collaboration and agricultural research. This year’s Farm Bill also addresses California’s Proposition 12, which sought to dictate how pork producers raise their livestock and harmed producers nationwide. 

This farm bill also expands farmers’ access to credit, funds successful conservation programs, and prioritizes American commodities on the global stage. Our farmers grow the safest, most abundant food supply in the world. We need to grow domestic and global market access if Indiana’s farmers are going to succeed. 

Another opportunity for Hoosier farmers lies in biofuels. Indiana’s agricultural landscape is defined by corn and soybeans, key ingredients in biofuels. Expanding the biofuels market, including year-round E-15, increases demand for these crops. 

At a time when our farmers and producers have faced economic uncertainty and global barriers to trade, it is time to focus on expanding our domestic markets, and increasing opportunities for biofuels must be part of this conversation. 

During the coming weeks, Congress will work on and debate critical biofuels policies. I will continue to advocate for America’s biofuel leadership to help Hoosier farmers thrive. 

Congress finally has an opportunity to deliver the economic and regulatory certainty our farmers and producers deserve. It is time for the U.S. Senate to work with the House to get this vital legislation signed into law soon. 

I have been a proud advocate for our farmers throughout my time in Congress, and I will be hard at work to get the 2026 farm bill across the finish line.