NCGA, allied ag groups, increasing calls for Congress to pass farm bill 

By Brooke S. Appleton, vice president of public policy with National Corn Growers Association 

Fall has almost arrived, and along with it comes marathon season. You would expect to see everyone moving at a slow steady speed as a result. Yet, the nation’s elected officials and political candidates are sprinting toward election day while official legislative work on the farm bill and other matters is largely stuck and not moving forward as urgently as needed. 

The competitive presidential and congressional races are making Washington hyper-partisan while injecting a great deal of uncertainty about the political landscape in 2025. No matter the outcome, we’re going to have many new leaders with many competing priorities come January. 

That, coupled with the incredible economic stress on farmers right now, is why we are pushing for Congress to act to pass the farm bill before year’s end. 

We have one last bite at this apple before the election, and we plan to take it. To that end, NCGA and our sister ag groups are coordinating a joint fly-in this month to get farmers from across regions and crops into congressional offices to talk about getting the farm bill done this year. 

As part of this effort, we will meet with members of Congress, including those representing states and districts outside the Corn Belt. Our message is clear: Farmers are facing worsening economic challenges, and we need Congress to pass a stronger farm bill now. 

We are also running advertising in the Washington, D.C., market directed at Congress and the Biden Administration. In the ads, we talk about the value corn growers bring to the national economy and call on Congress to act. We are running these ads online, at Reagan National Airport and on television during national news programming on Fox, MSNBC, CNN, etc. 

We are also actively encouraging our network of farmers and advocates, many of whom can’t make it to Washington to meet with Congress, to encourage their senators and representatives to pass a robust farm bill. 

This is all layered on top of the intensive and aggressive work we’ve been doing on the farm bill during the last two years. If we’re to be successful in these latest efforts, we will need your help, particularly when it comes to the call-to-action. If you haven’t already, please text COB to 52886 to receive our action alerts. And when you receive them – act. 

When it comes to farm bill passage, we’ve got a long way to go and a short time to get there. We all must pick up the pace. 

Legislation at a snail’s pace 

Events on the national stage may be moving quickly with many twists and turns. But in Washington, legislation is progressing at a snail’s pace with the farm bill hanging in the balance. 

In keeping with tradition, the House and Senate are adjourned for the August recess, and policymakers are home in their states and districts meeting with constituents. This leaves us with fewer than 39 legislative days left this year as we work to pass a robust farm bill that includes corn grower priorities. 

We have a long way to go and a short time to get there. Plus, we have major events along the way, including an election that could completely shift the partisan makeup of Congress and the White House. And we must navigate an increasingly partisan environment in Washington that reflects the pending national elections. 

Despite these challenges, NCGA and our state partners are pressing on, making the case that the farm bill needs to be passed this year. Our most recent efforts include: 

• Leveraging our relationships with the four corners, Corn Belt policymakers and other leading members of Congress to get the bill passed. 

• Taking 200 corn growers to Capitol Hill in July to talk about the importance of passing a farm bill that includes our priorities. 

• Running an aggressive ad campaign in the nation’s capital and in key states that highlights the important role the farm bill plays in the life of farmers and emphasizes the need to reauthorize the legislation. Already, the campaign has reached thousands of people in Washington alone. 

• Attending the national conventions to share the value of farming and highlighting the many contributions of corn growers with the nation’s leaders. We co-sponsored an agricultural event on a farm outside Milwaukee at the Republican National Convention, and co-hosted a similar event at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. 

We need your help in these endeavors. You can make a difference by participating in campaign Zoom calls, attending events like county fairs, where you can meet with your local representatives and senators to encourage them to act on the farm bill and other corn grower priorities. 

You are uniquely positioned to talk personally about the challenges of farming and how the farm bill helps address those challenges. You can remind the policymakers who represent you that the farm bill enjoys bipartisan support, and its passage would represent a significant accomplishment that would be helpful in an election year. 

As you speak with policymakers, remind them that, while the farm bill is a pressing issue, we have other legislation that needs their support. This includes advancing initiatives that would expand the ethanol market while lowering greenhouse gas emissions, like advancing the Next Generation Fuels Act and passing legislation allowing for year-round consumer access to higher blends of ethanol. 

We are also working to secure tax credits that would allow for the use of ethanol as a sustainable aviation fuel. And we are addressing trade barriers and challenges. 

You can tell the policymakers you meet with that NCGA and our state partners are always available to meet with them to talk more in-depth about these issues. 

The challenges remain formidable, but the power and persuasion of the nation’s corn growers should never be underestimated.