April 14, 2026

Contents

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

What We’re Watching

Congress 

The House and Senate return from their two-week recess period with a busy agenda ahead. While the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown has now hit the two-month mark, a plan is emerging to use reconciliation to fund ICE and CBP and the rest of DHS through a bipartisan funding bill. Senate Republicans will need to move quickly to put forward a FY27 budget resolution as the first step of the reconciliation process. Another top legislative priority for Republican leadership will be reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which expires next week. Members of the House Agriculture Committee had originally targeted next week to bring the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 to the full House floor, though the previously mentioned priorities, potential Congressional expulsions, and foreign affairs matters, may delay the floor proceedings until early May.  

FY2027 budgetary hearings are set for this week across House Appropriations Subcommittees, featuring notable cabinet members like USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, to discuss the President’s Budget Request and their goals for the agencies in the new fiscal year. House Appropriations Committee Chairman, Tom Cole, released the Subcommittee and Full Appropriations Committee markup schedule, with the Ag-FDA bill moving next week and the Interior bill moving by mid-May.   

In the Senate, Appropriations hearings and markups will likely follow in the coming weeks. Senators on the Senate Agriculture Committee will be watching the House farm bill process for an indicator on how to proceed with their own potential framework.  

Administration

President Trump Releases FY27 Budget Request 

President Trump released his FY 2027 budget request, which indicates what the administration will be prioritizing for the upcoming fiscal year. Nondefense spending was reduced by $73 billion, or around 10%, and funding for the Department of Agriculture would be cut by19% from the FY26 enacted level. The budget request would make investments in USDA reorganization efforts and wildfire management, while also proposing cuts to various programs, including the Rural Business Service, the Agricultural Marketing Service, and the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program.  

Within the Health and Human Services budget, the request details a proposal for a new division within HHS called the “Administration for a Healthy America” and includes $19 million for expanded nutrition services and nutrition education. The request also calls for more resources for the FDA among food safety, increasing the Human Foods Program budget by $65 million, as well as $57 million to streamline food additive approvals. While the President’s Budget Request gives a glimpse into the administration’s priorities, it is Congress that is charged with the power of the purse and the final funding decisions. 

National Forest Service Reorganization 

The USDA Forest Service announced headquarters will be moving to Salt Lake City, Utah in an effort to be closer to the west coast where wildfire and forestry issues are more concentrated. Under the new model, 15 state directors will be distributed throughout the country to oversee Forest Service operations within one or more states. This state-based model will include a network of operational service centers in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Athens, Georgia; Fort Collins, Colorado; Madison, Wisconsin; Missoula, Montana; and Placerville, California. The Forest Service is also consolidating and reorganizing its research stations to bring those remaining stations together under a single Forest Service research head, located in Fort Collins, CO. The reorganization proposes closing more than 50 forest research station locations. 

USDA Announces NEPA Final Rule 

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a final rule to modernize the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations. It would adopt the changes introduced in the Interim Final Rule, which was published in July 2025, to consolidate seven NEPA regulations into one department-wide framework. You can find the official announcement here.  

ARPA-H Announces Program on Microplastic Prevention

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) within HHS has rolled out a new program titled STOMP: Systematic Targeting of Micro Plastics. The program will receive $144 million to measure, research, and find ways to remove micro- and nano-plastics in the human body. There will be two phases of the project: the first will be measurement and mechanism, including studies on microplastics in the human body and development of a risk-stratification system, and then the second is removal, aiming to develop technologies to detect and reduce potentially harmful microplastics.  

USDA Under Secretary Nominated to Lead the World Food Program  

Luke Lindberg, currently the Under Secretary for USDA Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, was nominated to be the Executive Director of the U.N. World Food Program. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins praised this decision, highlighting his work through global agricultural trade missions and past experience. In his current role, Under Secretary Lindberg oversees the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program, the Food for Progress program, and the Food for Peace program.  

USDA Launches National Proving Grounds Network for Ag-Tech 

USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics (REE) Under Secretary Dr. Scott Hutchins launched the USDA National Proving Grounds Network for AgTech (NPG-Ag). NPG-Ag will be a nationwide initiative for evaluating existing and emerging agricultural technologies using realistic farming and ranching conditions. The goal will be to provide farmers and ranchers with insights that they can use when making technological investment decisions.  

Secretary Rollins Highlights Specialty Crop Funding Levels 

On Monday, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the availability of over $275 million for specialty crop programs at a field event in Michigan. The funding will be distributed through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI), the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), and the Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP). The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for SCRI will set aside at least $20 million specifically to fund research and development into mechanization and automation technologies for the specialty crop industry to help reduce labor costs. 

Notable News

• Corn Inspections Lead Weekly Exports as China Reenters U.S. Grain Market, Resumes Canada Trade Talks – RFD TV
• From war to weather: A ‘super El Niño’ event poses fresh risks to global food costs – CNBC
• Half of Americans Say It’s Hard to Afford Food Now, According to a New Survey – Food & Wine
• Farmer Sentiment Improves Despite Rising Input Costs Concerns – Ag Economy Barometer
• In Private Meeting, Trump Soothes Disenchanted MAHA Leaders – New York Times
• “The Alarm Bell”: Arizona’s Drop in SNAP Participation Signals Potential Nationwide Impact of Trump Legislation – Pro Publica
• Trump calls for 50% tariff on goods from nations arming Iran – Supply Chain Dive
• Casey Means’s brother says ‘conversations happening’ in surgeon general confirmation process – The Hill 

This Week’s Legislation

• Congresswoman Nikema Williams (D-GA) introduced the Overcoming Higher Education Hunger Through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (OHH SNAP) Act to allow independent students and students with an expected family contribution (EFC) of $0 to be eligible to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
• Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) introduced the Farmworker Access and Retention Modernization (FARM) Stability Act which would codify the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) initiative to stabilize agricultural labor costs. 
• Reps. April McClain Delaney (D-MD) and Rob Bresnahan (R-PA) co-sponsored a package of bills, including the Rural Utilities Service Modernization Act, Prioritizing Rural Broadband Affordability Act, Quality Broadband for Connected Communities Act, and the Expanding Access to Distance Learning and Telemedicine Act. 

Upcoming Hearings

Tuesday, April 14 

• 9:00 AM: The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health will hold a field hearing on “Modernized Health Care in Practice: Empowering Americans to Live Healthier Lives” 
• 10:00 AM: The House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations will hold a hearing titled “Fraud Prevention: Understanding Fraud in Federally Funded Programs Run by the States” 

Wednesday, April 15 

• 10:15 AM: The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing titled “Healthier America: Legislative Proposals to Improve Public Health.” 
• 2:00 PM: The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies will hold a budget hearing on the Department of Energy. 

Thursday, April 16 

• 9:00 AM: The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.  
• 10:00 AM: The House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Energy will hold a hearing on the FY 2027 Department of Energy Budget. 
• 10:30 AM: The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies will hold a budget hearing on the Department of Agriculture. 
• 11:00 AM: The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies will hold a budget hearing on the Office of the United States Trade Representative. 
• 2:00 PM: The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies will hold a budget hearing on the Department of Health and Human Services.

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.