HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE HEARING WITH USDA SECRETARY ROLLINS
On June 11, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing to examine the testimony of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins.
Key Takeaways
- Chairman Thompson (R-PA) framed the One, Big, Beautiful Bill as “Farm Bill 1.0,” outlining necessary provisions, such as increases to crop insurance affordability and reference prices, among others.
- Representative Taylor (R-OH) raised the importance of including farm safety net provisions in the One, Big, Beautiful Bill, with Secretary Rollins commending its inclusion and underscoring the need for updated reference prices. She highlighted how the Bill is increasing projected farm income by $3.8 billion, alongside protecting over two million farms from the death tax and cutting more than $10 billion in agricultural taxes.
- Discussions cited the variety of challenges facing producers, from rising input costs and decreasing commodity prices, as Committee Republicans called for securing market access and reducing trade barriers over government payouts to ensure certainty for producers and enhance margins.
- Secretary Rollins outlined USDA efforts on streamlining unnecessary regulations and cutting red tape for producers, committing to ensuring producers have the support needed to continue to be the leaders in agricultural production and innovation.
- Committee discussions raised the disbursement timeline of $21 billion worth of disaster relief funds to be provided to producers. Secretary Rollins outlined how the administration is working at record speed and with intentionality, referencing faster disbursement than prior administrations and ongoing state-by-state negotiations.
- Representatives called for USDA to ensure that agriculture has a seat at the table in trade discussions and negotiations, with Secretary Rollins emphasizing that the administration is pursuing aggressive trade deals that put U.S. producers first. Discussions called for opening up and expanding current market access for U.S. agricultural products.
- Secretary Rollins acknowledged the trade uncertainty faced by farmers and emphasized ongoing efforts to expand international market access for U.S. row crops, particularly soybeans. She cited recent engagement in Italy, highlighting that despite Italy importing $75 billion in agricultural goods, only $1.7 billion originates from the U.S., as well as ongoing efforts to grow exports to the EU, Japan, India, and Vietnam. She also noted that a new trade deal with China had just been announced by the President.
- Chairman Thompson questioned the challenges presented by the President’s executive order and the potential for recent enforcement actions to create agricultural workforce shortages. Secretary Rollins responded that USDA is working on the priority of ensuring adequate agricultural labor while balancing immigration enforcement priorities. She noted H2A reforms and acknowledged producer concerns about ensuring an adequate agricultural workforce as she emphasized that the President is hyper-focused on understanding the current challenges facing producers.
- Representative Lucas (R-OK) discussed voluntary conservation programs in the Farm Bill and the potential improvements to ensure that programs truly work for producers and to their intended benefit. He said that reinvesting the unobligated Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds into the baseline of the Farm Bill without the climate sideboards is a necessary step. He referenced how producers have highlighted that the climate-smart commodities grant process under the Biden administration was confusing and left little room for producer choice.
- Representative DesJarlais (R-TN) raised concerns about the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) reports’ potential implications on the agricultural industry, specifically relating to pesticides and herbicides, calling for Secretary Rollin’s commitment to producers’ representation in the next report. Secretary Rollins said she has been unequivocal on the importance of crop protection programs and pesticides to producers, noting that the next report can do better and committing to better agricultural representation.
- Ranking Member Craig (D-MN) criticized Republicans for using cuts to the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP) to fund increased reference prices over prioritizing a twelve-Title, five-year Farm Bill.
- Democrats outlined concerns about implications from uncertainty in trade policy and reduced agricultural resources, such as reductions to staff, resources, and facilities, on agricultural producers.
SUMMARY
Opening Statements and Testimony
Chairman G.T. Thompson (R-PA)
I am grateful to Secretary Rollins for her continued work to get those dollars out and help reach the producers who need it most. Largely thanks to these investments and renewed emphasis on expanding global markets, recent USDA forecasts show net farm income stabilizing for 2025. Those dollars, while not enough to make producers whole, were enough for many to keep the lights on and obtain credit to farm another year. However, input costs remain high and commodity prices continue to soften cash margins. Working capital and debt loads continue to deteriorate. Our work to support producers is not yet complete, as they have faced an unprecedented mix of adversity, from supply chain disruptions to natural disasters, while continuing to deliver the safest, most abundant, and affordable food supply. The administration is working on strategies for producers with today’s challenging trade environment and animal health risks in working to lower barriers and open new markets. It is incumbent on Congress to do our job in this chapter and the One Big, Beautiful Bill is a critical down payment on meaningful change, but it is just the beginning. We must also deliver a full Farm Bill reauthorization to provide certainty and long-term support for producers. Once we complete the reconciliation process, we will build that foundation with a comprehensive Farm Bill later this year, with a strong and productive USDA partnership.
Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-MN)
Working across the aisle has been a trademark of this committee over time, and that is how successful Farm Bills usually function. Traditionally, USDA has reflected that commitment as well by supporting our farmers and innovating the future of food and agriculture. This reckless push to cut nearly $300 billion in funding to a Title of the Farm Bill instead of prioritizing getting a twelve-Title, five-year Farm Bill across the finish line. This has put the bipartisan Farm Bill in jeopardy. DOGE has been given essentially a free pass to damage program integrity and undermine USDA’s ability to carry out its core functions and provide key services that farmers rely on. Our trade deficit is increasing, and retaliatory tariffs are coming. Countries are already moving to buy commodities from other nations instead of us. Farmers’ input costs are stubbornly high, food banks have been defunded, billions of dollars in farm programs remain frozen, safety and animal health experts have been fired or forced out, and nutrition assistance programs are being decimated. The MAHA Commission, which the USDA signed off on, is issuing reports with made-up science and fake citations without talking to family farmers. Farmers want markets, not farm income from more government handouts because their government policies are hurting their farms.
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins
We are streamlining unnecessary regulations and cutting red tape for producers, such as by extending line speed waivers and removing duplicative data collection. USDA distributed the emergency commodity assistance program in record time, with aid out to more than 500,000 farmers in just the last eight weeks, with a total of over $7.7 billion out the door to date. We are on track to meet our deadlines for the remaining congressionally authorized disaster programs which are so important, especially since the Farm Bill was not done in the last few years. We are opening up markets around the world, with U.S. farm products moving in. We are regularly meeting with foreign partners, expanding markets around the world, and promoting U.S. agricultural products. I have already traveled to the UK and to Italy. I am soon to leave for Vietnam, Japan, and India, then South America. We are working as hard as we possibly can, pushing these aggressive trade deals to put U.S. farmers and producers first. The One, Big Beautiful Bill leverages a once-in-a-generation opportunity, specifically for farmers, by increasing $3.8 billion in income projected, while protecting over two million of farms from the death tax and cutting more than $10 billion in taxes just in our agricultural community.
DISCUSSION
Ranking Member Craig (D-MN): Before USDA moved forward with its layoffs restructuring plan, did it carefully analyze specific roles and the impact these cuts would have on farm country? Rollins: There were 15,000 USDA employees who took the deferred resignation, but no one was fired. In a normal year, we will have 8,000 attrition rates.
Ranking Member Craig (D-MN): What markets are you targeting to help U.S. soy producers compensate for the market access that they have lost to China? Rollins: We realize the trade uncertainty farmers and we are working very aggressively, specifically on our row crops such as soy, to expand the markets. Italy imports about $75 billion in agriculture products, but only $1.7 billion comes from U.S. farmers and ranchers, and this is one of our best friends around the world. We had great conversations specific to soy as the number one import, but not nearly enough. We are working on how we get more into Italy, the EU, Japan, India, and Vietnam and will continue to do that.
Representative Lucas (R-OK): What is USDA doing to revamp the climate smart commodities grant program and streamline the application process for producers? Rollins: We have made announcements on how to make it easier, cleaner and better and to put our producers first. We have had several applicants reapply based on that as a priority in driving that forward.
Representative DesJarlais (R-TN): How do you plan to remedy the negative implications of MAHA’s report on pesticides and herbicides on producers? Will you make certain farmers are not only included but are at the center of the discussion and decisions moving forward? Rollins: My commitment is just that. I have been unequivocal on how important these crop protection programs and pesticides are, specifically glyphosate and others. The president has as well and we will continue that. There is no doubt that we could do better on the next report, and I commit to doing everything I can to ensure the ag community is better represented.
Representative Brown (D-OH): Why was USDA’s quarterly agriculture trade report delayed and incomplete? Was the delay related to the report showing a worsening trade deficit in farm goods? Did your team remove the explanatory text in the report specifically because it attributed the growing trade deficits to the Trump administration? Rollins: I will look into that and get back to you. It is my understanding that we wanted to make sure it was complete, that the citations were correct, and that the review was done in total. It is my understanding that that was not the case, but we will look into that. I think the president has been very forward-leaning in understanding that we are in some time of uncertainty. But as these trade deals continue to get done, with China announced about an hour ago, the UK two weeks ago, more coming, that is going to be an important part of the conversation moving forward. I want to make sure every piece of research we move out is the best cited, et cetera. A big part of my portfolio right now is to ensure that.
Representative Baird (R-IN): How are initiatives, such as APHIS’ Biotechnology Regulatory Service, key to enabling innovation that benefits producers? Rollins: No one has been more innovative than our producers. We should be proud of that and work hard to lift up the mind-blowing innovation. We will continue to work and find partners in that to ensure that our farmers and ranchers have everything they need to continue to be the leaders in agricultural production and innovation.
Representative Salinas (D-OR): Do you agree that federal nutrition programs provide an important stream of revenue for farmers? Rollins: When executed correctly, yes.
Representative Bacon (R-NE): How do you view the timeline in trade negotiations, specifically with Canada, and the uncertainty facing relations? Rollins: Our farmers and producers are the most affected by the uncertainty. Remarkably, they have remained very committed and the latest poll shows that the community is actually higher in support today than they were even before Liberation Day and reciprocal tariffs. Having said that, I hear you. If you would send specific examples, I think that would really help me fully understand as these conversations are ongoing and I am at the table.
Representative Feenstra (R-IA): How can we continue to ensure ethanol and biodiesel are successful, and where do you see it going? What can USDA do in those arenas to make sure that we protect our farming community and create those markets for our farmers? Rollins: This President has been resolute in his support of the industry in the trade recalibration discussion. But the UK deal, the first UK deal three weeks ago in the Oval Office, ethanol went to a zero percent tariff. Three days later, I was in the UK talking to the leaders there. They were so surprised, first of all, to have the Secretary of Agriculture there because they had not seen one in a long time. Secondly, the idea that we can move our ethanol around the world in an unprecedented way is tremendously helpful to farmers and the future could not be brighter for them.
Representative Johnson (R-SD): Do you agree on the administration serving as a strong voice for more trade, with support for MAP and FMD programs? Rollins: The encouragement that I have received in these first few international trips has been remarkable and stunning. I think that the world is ready to recalibrate and that the President has been such an effective leader on this. There is no one who is failing or operating more on the margins or in uncertain times than our producers. The President certainly understands that. I strongly believe and am sure that this era of unlimited or unprecedented prosperity for the ag community is just around the corner because of these trade renegotiations.
Representative Mann (R-KS): With a significant upgrade in trade promotion resources, what will you and Ambassador Greer be pursuing to unlock opportunities for U.S. exports of commodities like sorghum as part of trade discussions, specifically with India? Rollins: I have three countries ahead of India, so I have not focused on India just yet, even though we are headed there very soon. India is reflective, to your point on sorghum and row crops, of opportunity there. Agricultural security is national security and a lot of that is opening up markets with our friends like India and moving away from other markets that clearly are not aligned with us on a value-by-value basis. What I have found with Ambassador Greer, with Secretary Lutnick, with Secretary Bessent, and the ultimate deal maker, President Donald Trump, is that we are relentless. Countries are anxious to support this vision of opening up more American products and decreasing the tariffs while working on non-tariff trade barriers. There is a lot more to come, and I will with you as we are prepping for India and other countries specific to sorghum and other row crops. I agree India is a huge opportunity for sorghum and other commodities.
Representative Taylor (R-OH): What is the importance of including farm safety net provisions in the One Big, Beautiful bill? Rollins: The One Big, Beautiful Bill is important for a lot of reasons, such as making the President’s tax cuts being permanent, creating more jobs, keeping the death tax out of our family farms, et cetera. I am not sure anything is more important than updating those reference prices, and hopefully, it goes to the finish line.
Representative Rose (R-TN): As we turn our focus to passing a new Farm Bill, can you highlight some of the titles and programs Congress should prioritize to ensure that legislation provides the necessary tools to bolster farmers and landowners? Rollins: The continued effort on reference prices is so important for viability and continued work. On the rural prosperity part of this, we will see what that looks like, but I will be rolling something out on that very soon in partnership. SNAP reform is a major issue, as referenced today, which is 85 percent of the Farm Bill, depending on how you slice the cheese. There is a lot that we can prioritize. We will be continuing to put farmers first, moving toward a new era of prosperity, opening up markets, bringing down inflation and the cost of inputs, and ensuring the crop protection tools needed. There will not be a more important effort once we get through this reconciliation bill and effort than the Farm Bill will be in just a little while.