June 9, 2026

Contents

• What We’re Watching
• Notable News
• This Week’s Legislation
• Upcoming Hearings
• Contact the Team

What We’re Watching

Congress 

Appropriations

The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027 passed the House on a mostly party line vote of 213 – 210, with five Republicans voting no and four Democrats voting yes on the bill. Republicans who voted against the bill were Reps. Bresnahan (PA), Fitzpatrick (PA), Massie (KY), McClintock (CA), and Steube (FL), while Democrats who supported the bill were Reps. Davis (NC), Gonzalez (TX), Gray (CA), and Gluesenkamp Perez (WA). The bill provides $26.3 billion in total discretionary spending for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and related agencies, representing a 1.4% cut to the overall FY26 funding levels. Within this total, $22.5 billion is recommended for the USDA, a cut of 3% from the enacted levels. Notably, the bill includes $1.16 billion for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to improve tracking of foreign-owned farmland, as well as tracking pests and diseases. The passed bill and report language addresses reorganization and staffing levels within the USDA and cuts the Special Supplemental Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Cash Value Voucher to $141 million. Meanwhile, the Senate is still working through their FY2027 spending bills. A full Committee markup for the Agriculture-FDA bill was originally scheduled for Thursday, June 4, but has been postponed until further notice.

Secretary Rollins Testifies Before Agriculture Committees

On Thursday, June 4, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins appeared as a witness before the House Agriculture Committee. Key issues discussed by Members included farm financial stress driven by input costs and tariffs; response to the New World Screwworm detection in Texas; SNAP cuts and fraud enforcement; concerns about USDA reorganization and staffing impacts across agencies like FNS, FSA, APHIS, and research offices; domestic fertilizer production; foreign ownership of farmland; and disaster aid to farmers, particularly around specialty crops.

The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold its oversight hearing with the Secretary on June 10. The main discussion topics are likely to be similar to the House, as the New World Screwworm, Iran conflict, tariffs, and the USDA reorganization plan, continue to be top of mind concerns expressed by Senators. The hearing is expected to precede the Senate farm bill rollout, which could be as soon as this month.

Administration

New World Screwworm Detected in Texas

Late last week, USDA announced there has been a confirmed case of the New World Screwworm (NWS) in southern Texas, which has not been seen in the United States since the mid-1960s. On Monday June 8, APHIS announced that additional cases were detected in a dog in Lea County, New Mexico, a goat in Gillespie County, Texas, and a calf in La Salle County, Texas, bringing the total confirmed U.S. cases to five. The NWS is a pest that can lay eggs in warm blooded mammal tissue with their larvae feeding on living tissue, causing urgent concerns for Texas livestock producers and ranchers. To combat this, USDA has stated that they are actively working with state authorities on quarantine and surveillance protocols, while also funding sterile fly facilities to combat further spread. USDA has reiterated the NWS is an animal health issue, not a food safety issue and does not impact the safety of US beef. 

President Trump Speaks at Dairy Roundtable Event in Wisconsin

President Trump visited Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin to highlight his agriculture policies in a roundtable discussion featuring USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI-7), and other agricultural stakeholders. The President discussed a myriad of topics, including affordability, saying that fuel and fertilizer prices are coming down, as well as tariffs and trade deals that are leveling the playing field for farmers. He also touted his actions on securing the Southern border, farmer relief aid, China’s deal to purchase soybeans, tax cuts from HR 1 (including the elimination of the death tax and increased tax cuts), right to repair, and whole milk. He indicated optimism on getting a farm bill enacted this year. This follows a separate event earlier last week featuring Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI-3) and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., encouraging consumption of dairy products and promoting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

USDA Announces Funding for Small Meat and Poultry Processors

USDA Secretary Rollins launched the Small Processors Action Plan, which aims to support small meat and poultry processing plants, reduce regulatory burdens, and maintain food safety standards. The plan also provides an additional $60 million in funding for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program, which is now open for a fourth round of applications.

White House Proclamation Modifies Tariffs for Agriculture Equipment and Products

One June 1, the White House announced that President Trump signed a proclamation lowering tariffs on machinery along with some other categories of industrial equipment and even some food products. Many of the duties are being lowered to 15 percent from the 25 percent that has been in place based on Section 232 duties on steel and aluminum and their derivatives. The announcement also lowers the duty on ”mobile industrial equipment and machinery” when those machines are imported from countries with whom the administration has inked trade deals. Under the announcement, foreign companies can now qualify for a 10 percent tariff on capital equipment exported to the U.S. if that equipment includes at least 85 percent U.S. melted and poured or smelted and cast steel or aluminum by weight. The temporary relief will start on June 8, 2026, and expire at the end of 2027.  

Notable News

• Canada calls on U.S. and Mexico to renew free trade agreement for another 16 years – PBS
• House passes resolution to end Iran war, challenging Trump – The Hill
• MAHA’s food dye fight spreads across the grocery aisle – Axios
• Senate passes $70B bill to fund immigration enforcement, without limits on Trump ‘anti-weaponization’ fund – NBC
• America’s Farms Depend More Than Ever on a Troubled Visa Program – New York Times
• US Senate faces tough vote on nationwide E15 gasoline sales expansion – Reuters

This Week’s Legislation

• Rep. Mark Messmer (R-IN) introduced the CFTC Protection of Information and Data Act of 2026 to protect certain information.
• Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced a package of six agriculture bills: The Economic Relief for Specialty Crops Act, The Improving Pest and Disease Preparedness for Specialty Crops Act, The Increasing Insurance Access for Specialty Crops Act, The Advancing Automation Research and Development in Agriculture Act, The Ensuring Disaster Recovery and Resilience for Specialty Crops Act, and the Expanding Market Access Act.
• Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA) introduced the Rural Grants Transparency Act to make USDA rural development grant programs easier for local communities to navigate by requiring the agency to create clear, public roadmaps for each grant program.
• Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-TX) introduced the Water Assurance and Treaty Enforcement for Rio Grande Farmers Act (WATER for Farmers Act) to impose tariffs on Mexico if they refuse to comply with the 1944 Water Treaty.
• Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) introduced the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) Online Act, legislation requiring online sellers to clearly disclose a product’s country of origin and the seller’s principal place of business.

Upcoming Hearings

Monday June 8

• 5:30 PM: The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a business meeting to consider the nomination of Glen Smith, of Iowa, to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development

Wednesday June 10

• 10:00 AM: The House Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on “Agricultural Perspectives on the Future of the USMCA.”
• 10:00 AM: The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee will hold a hearing examining the Department of Energy’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request.
• 10:00 AM: The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance will hold a hearing titled “Examining Local Needs in Disaster Recovery.”
• 10:00 AM: The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold an oversight hearing to examine the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Contact the Team

Feel free to contact Michael Torrey, Tara Smith, Cassandra Kuball, Barbara Patterson, Katie Naessens, Julie McClure, Nona McCoy, Danielle Nelson, Ashley Smith, Olivia Lucanie, Caroline Sowinski, Eden Lambert, Tracy Boyle, or Grace Walker with any questions or comments.

Food and agricultural organizations that need the right results in Washington, D.C. can trust Torrey Advisory Group to put its relationships, reputation, and expertise to work on your issue. Since 2005, the firm has successfully provided legislative and regulatory guidance, issues management, and association management services to a wide variety of clients. Learn more about us at torreydc.com.