June 2, 2026

Contents

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

What We’re Watching

Congress 

Farm Bill

Following the House passage of the Food, Farm, and National Security Act of 2026, the Senate is now looking for a path forward. In late May, Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman (R-AR) convened Senators to discuss their priorities and gauge support for the bill. While the meeting did not result in a specific deal, it represented the first major step for a bipartisan farm bill. Key issues to watch will be potential delays to the SNAP state cost-share agreement, disaster aid funding for farmers, and other notable issues that came up with the House bill, like pesticide company liability, Prop 12, and year-round E-15. The bill could be unveiled sometime mid-June with a markup to follow.

Additionally, both House and Senate Agriculture Committees will hold hearings in the coming weeks featuring U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins as the witness. The House Agriculture Committee hearing will be on June 4 at 10:00 AM, and the Senate Agriculture Committee hearing is likely to be held on June 10. Today, the Senate Agriculture Committee will also hear testimony from US Forest Service Chief, Tom Schultz, in a Forest Service oversight hearing.

Appropriations

The House Agriculture-FDA FY2027 bill is being considered by the Rules Committee this evening – June 2 – beginning at 4:00 PM. This is the first procedural step to filter through which amendments will be considered on the House floor. The full list of amendments can be found here. Once the Rules Committee passes the rule, it will move to the House floor for a vote, likely later this week pending Speaker Johnson’s (R-LA) floor schedule. The FY2027 House Interior, Environment, & Related Agencies Appropriations bill will be considered by the full committee tomorrow, June 3, 2026.

In related Senate action, on June 4, the Senate Appropriations Committee will begin marking up its first appropriations package, three FY2027 funding bills including the Ag-FDA bill.

California Delegation Sends Dried Fruit Letter to USDA

Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Representatives David Valadao (R-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), and Vince Fong (R-CA) sent a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins encouraging the inclusion of all dried fruits in federal nutrition programs. The letter requests that USDA expands the Foods Available Lists to include a domestically produced dried fruit medley consisting of equal parts of dates, dried figs, dried plums or prunes and raisins, along with individual dried fruits: dates, dried figs, dried peaches and dried plums or prunes. Adding these items to the Available Lists provides flexibility to states, schools, and food banks to order these products based on demand, with no cost to USDA.

House and Senate Committees Raise Concerns Over USDA Reorganization

House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) and House Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) sent a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins raising concerns with the proposed reorganization of the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). Because the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the School Breakfast Program (SBP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) are all within the Committee’s jurisdiction, the Committee notes that they were not notified of this reorganization plan, even though the FY2026 appropriations bill requires notification to the Committees of jurisdiction before agency relocations. Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led two letters to USDA expressing concerns over the agency’s recent reorganization announcements. Democratic Members on and off the Senate Agriculture Committee signed on to a letter on the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), both asking for additional information on the proposed reorganizations to ensure that the programs will maintain services.

Dairy Nutrition Event Held in Wisconsin

On Monday, June 1, Congressman Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy held a roundtable discussion and dairy farm tour to promote dairy farmers and national nutrition. This follows other “Make America Healthy Again” events the Secretary has been hosting in various states to promote areas of the MAHA agenda, including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which highlights the nutritional value of whole dairy products in addition to other products like yogurt, milk, and cheeses.

Administration

USDA Makes Specialty Crop Economic Assistance Announcement

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins rolled out details for the new specialty crop assistance program, or the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ACSF) program, increasing the total funding from $1 billion to $1.625 billion. The program has a $250,000 payment limitation, and those with an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $900,000 or higher are not eligible for payments. Payment rates are divided into three tiers, and there is a separate tier for certain beans and peas. Electronic applications will open on June 1, and the application deadline is August 7, 2026.

Trump Administration Takes Action to Lower Fertilizer Prices, Address Supply Chain Challenges

As farmers continue to face high input prices, namely fertilizer, the Trump Administration has doubled down on efforts to alleviate price pressure and address supply chain issues through a multi-agency approach. Most recently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched an investigation into concentration and pricing in the fertilizer industry. This is in addition to the previously launched investigation by the Justice Department into anti-competitive practices.

To address supply chain challenges, the Department of Transportation has granted a waiver allowing fertilizer haulers in 35 states to operate under relaxed hours-of-service rules through the end of 2026. Under the waiver, drivers transporting fertilizer can operate up to 16 hours within a 24-hour period with modified rest requirements, compared to stricter limits for other products.

USDA Launches Great American Cotton Plan

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the Great American Cotton Plan which outlines steps to strengthen the cotton farm economy by restoring domestic textile manufacturing, expanding cotton trade opportunities, and increase demand for products that use American-grown cotton. USDA will also promote the “Plant Not Plastic” initiative to encourage consumers to purchase products made with natural American cotton fibers rather than synthetic plastic-based alternatives.

U.S.-Mexico Kickoff USMCA Review Negotiations 

After a series of high-level meetings, the U.S. and Mexico kicked off their first round of negotiations on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement Review on May 28 in Mexico City. The first round focused on economic security and rules of origin for key industrial goods, notably autos. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also announced the timing for the next two bilateral rounds with Mexico. The June 16-17 session will take place in Washington, DC and will include discussions on agriculture and “leveling the playing field”. The following round will be in Mexico City the week of July 20 with focus areas to be determined.  

ARS Opens New Facility for Research on Pests and Disease

The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) opened the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, which will research and provide tools for the cattle industry to combat invasive fly and tick pests. The facility will house two ARS units; the Livestock Arthropod Pest Research Unit and the Veterinary Pest Genetics Research Unit to address biting flies, ticks, and the New World Screwworm. The lab also features control technologies, and research opportunities around surveillance and trapping tools, novel insecticides and acaricides, enhanced pesticide delivery techniques for cattle and wildlife, sustainable treatments to prevent and mitigate outbreaks of invasive/quarantine arthropod species, improved approaches to combat pesticide resistance, and insect genomics to identify pest vulnerabilities. The full announcement can be found here.

Notable News

• US agriculture industry at risk as drought conditions worsen – ABC News
• Iran war forces farmers to seek fertilizer alternatives from cow dung to compost – AP
• Ag Tech Robotics Challenge at CEI Shows Students the Future of Farming – East Idaho News
• Sharp Drop in Number of Children Receiving SNAP Food Assistance Under New Federal Law – Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Vermont becomes first US state to ban paraquat herbicide over Parkinson’s fears – The Guardian
• Tomatoes become latest symbol of America’s affordability squeeze – AP
• USDA relocation of food assistance employees will lead to major staffing losses, union warns – Federal News Network
• U.S.-Mexico Trade Talks Move Forward as Canada Faces Uncertain Role in USMCA Review – RFD-TV

This Week’s Legislation

• Senators Jim Risch (R-ID) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) introduced the America the Beautiful Act to reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) and strengthen Idaho’s public lands.
• Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) introduced the Fostering Agricultural Research and Modernization through Artificial Intelligence (FARM AI) Act to increase capital for AI projects through USDA grants and ensure USDA programs are deployed to educate farmers on the latest AI technologies to advance American production.
• Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced the Expanding Childcare in Rural America Act to direct USDA Rural Development programs to prioritize projects that expand childcare options for families, workers, and employers across rural America.
• Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-HI) introduced the Rural Hospital Revitalization Act to provide interest-free loans of up to 10 years through the USDA Community Facilities Program to support the construction and renovation of rural hospitals.

Upcoming Hearings

Tuesday, June 2

• 10:00 AM: The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee will hold an oversight hearing on the United States Forest Service.
• 10:00 AM: The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries will hold a hearing to examine the blue economy, focusing on advancing American fisheries, maritime strength, and coastal economies.
• 4:00 PM: The House Rules Committee will hold a hearing to consider H.R. 8646 – Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Act, 2027; H.R. 7726 – Stop Child Care Scams Act of 2026; H.R. 7892 – No Aid for Ghost Students Act of 2026; H.R. 8872 – Preventing Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in TANF Act

Wednesday June 3

• 10:00 AM: The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a hearing to Examine the Federal Highway Administration’s Proposed Fiscal Year 2027 Budget.
• 11:00 AM: The House Appropriations Committee will hold a markup of the Fiscal Year 2027 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Bill and the Fiscal Year 2027 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Bill

Thursday, June 4

• 10:00 AM: The House Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing “For the Purpose of Receiving Testimony from the Honorable Brooke L. Rollins, Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture”
• 10:00 AM: The House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Environment will hold a hearing on “Advancing Environmental Protection Through Science and Technology”
• 10:00 AM: The Senate Appropriations Committee will hold a business meeting to markup the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027; Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2027; and the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027.
• 10:15 AM: The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands will hold an oversight hearing titled “The State of Our Nation’s Federal Forests and Outlook for the 2026 Wildfire Year.”

Staff Updates

Torrey Advisory Group Welcomes Intern Paige Vulgamore

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.