For nearly 16 years, Wendy Johnson has tried to build an Iowa farm that could survive the kinds of economic shocks that drove farmers out of business when she was growing up in the 1980s. She diversified her operations, growing corn, small grains, and soybeans, while also raising sheep, cattle, pigs, and chickens. She opted to sell directly to consumers and transitioned a portion of her 1,200 acres to organic production. She avoided debt and even planted trees to protect her soil and livestock.
But the latest crisis has defied her careful planning: Trump’s (R) tariffs and his war with Iran, have driven up the cost of fertilizer, fuel, and machinery, just as weak crop prices have made it harder to cover those rising expenses. “I am afraid that we’re looking into the barrel of another farm crisis,” said Johnson, a fourth-generation farmer, who estimates her profits are down by as much as 50%. “And we all know historically what that did to our rural communities.”
Johnson is among hundreds of thousands of American farmers who say they are desperate for relief from Washington, as Trump administration policies raise costs and slash profits. Just last week, Trump slapped 50% tarTffs on Canada, a critical source of fertilizer and farm equipment. And he wrote in a Truth Social post that he would pause tariffs on some imported ground beef in an effort to lower grocery prices, infuriating U.S. cattle ranchers who say the move would undermine domestic herders.
Meanwhile, the federal farm bill, the traditional source of agricultural subsidies, crop insurance and other support for farmers, is hopelessly out of date, and a divided Congress is far from agreement on how to replace it. To tide over rural America, Republican leaders are trying to pass $12 billion in emergency aid. But their plan would pair that money with billions of dollars for the war with Iran, the very conflict that has helped drive up fuel costs and added to the squeeze on farmers in the first place.
That combination gets mixed reviews in farm country. While some industry groups, such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, have backed it, others have argued that it is counterproductive to tie the money to funding for the Iran war. “While we support providing immediate relief to farmers … we are troubled by funding that perpetuates a costly military conflict that risks further disrupting global markets, increasing input costs, and contributing to the economic pressures already weighing on farm operations,” the National Farmers Union wrote in a July letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA, 4th District) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY, 8th District).
Aaron Lehman, President of the Iowa Farmers Union, echoed that sentiment. “I’m glad lawmakers are trying to find a way to help farmers,” Lehman said. “But this approach is not the right one.” When the House returns to Washington later this month, passing a farm aid package remains near the top of the legislative to-do list. Iowa is particularly critical heading into the Nov. 3rd midterm elections, with three competitive House seats and a competitive Senate race. In a state that has not had a Democratic governor in nearly two decades, even that race in Iowa is competitive, according to the Cook Political Report.
Nationally, roughly a dozen competitive House seats have a significant concentration of agricultural areas, as well as multiple competitive Senate races. Republican leaders, trying to hang on to narrow majorities in both chambers, are especially eager to demonstrate their ability to deliver for a key constituency. “Right now, if you’re growing something in the ground, you’re losing money. And it’s not just a crop, it’s virtually every crop, and it’s virtually every region of the country,” said Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman (R-AR).
While farmers say getting the emergency aid is crucial, many called it a “Band-Aid” at best. Agriculture industry groups said the funding must be accompanied by long-term policy that addresses the structural problems threatening their livelihood. Russell Boening, a Texas farmer who runs his family’s operation with his brother, is facing a similar squeeze to Johnson in Iowa. The farm grows corn, grain sorghum and wheat, as well as raising cattle. But crop revenue has fallen below the cost of their production as fertilizer and other inputs have become more expensive. Boening estimates the farm’s bottom line has taken as much as a 40 percent hit in some areas.
The emergency aid is “needed,” he said, adding that farmers in South Texas are already seeking operating loans for 2027 so they can begin planting in January. But Boening urged Congress to get to work on longer-term policies because “farmers don’t want to come there every six months for a bridge payment for farmer assistance.” Ben LaCross, president of the Michigan Farm Bureau, also supports the emergency assistance, noting that farmers have been struggling with rising costs and weak commodity prices for more than a decade. He praised the Trump administration’s efforts to expand market opportunities for agricultural commodities, and said farmers need a new farm bill that further expands markets and helps reduce the cost of fertilizer and other inputs.
The current farm bill — a multiyear law that sets national policy for agriculture and nutrition — is nearly eight years old. With the law originally designed to be renewed every five years, Congress has temporarily extended the legislation three times as lawmakers have failed to reach an agreement on updated policies. The latest extension will expire at the end of September.
But Congress is nowhere near an agreement on a new policy framework. Republicans want to increase funding for commodity farmers to help offset rising production costs, while reducing federal funding for food stamps. Democrats, who oppose altering the food aid benefits, blocked Republicans from advancing the bill out of the Senate Agriculture Committee in early August. The committee will continue work when senators return from recess in mid-September.
Boozman and Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) played key roles in advocating for emergency farm aid. The money was included in a party-line package Republicans are rushing to pass before the Midterms. Along with funding for farmers, that package includes two other GOP priorities: Iran War funding and stricter rules for voting. GOP lawmakers aim to use the complex reconciliation process to pass the package through both chambers with a simple majority, forgoing the need for Democratic support. But for that plan to work, it would require near-unanimous support from Republicans, does not have.
GOP Senators had hoped to Vote on a framework for the Package before they left Town for the August Recess, but those Plans were Scrapped amid lingering Concerns from multiple Lawmakers within the Conference. Between those Concerns and a Tight Legislative Calendar, the Path to Passing Help for Farmers before Nov. 3rd is looking increasingly Difficult.
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