Farm Bill Extension Included in Senate Bill to End Shutdown

By Ryan Hanrahan

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.”