The U.S. House of Representatives passed the farm bill on Thursday, April 30.
The nearly $400 billion bill would increase farm subsidies by $60 billion, makes cuts to conservation and sustain major funding cuts to food assistance programs that the Trump administration made last year.
At a press conference on Friday, Michigan agriculture and environmental officials criticized the bill for neglecting the needs of small farmers and families’ needs.
Bob Thompson is a farmer in central Michigan and the president of the state’s farmers union. He said he would rather have no farm bill than a "bad one".
“The bill that is being proposed largely continues existing farm safety net programs that really do not match the scale of the current economic crisis that family farmers are facing,” Thompson said.
Thompson said he wants lawmakers to prioritize reducing input costs and expanding domestic markets for farmers.
“The folks who grow our food and those who eat it deserve a more equitable farm bill that represents all of our communities,” said Justin Mendoza, the executive director of Progress Michigan.
U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Bay City, was one of 14 Democrats who voted for the bill.
“While this bill is an important step forward for Michigan growers, it’s far from perfect,” Rivet said, who added that she’s concerned about SNAP cuts affecting families.
Rivet sponsored the “HOT Rotisserie Chicken Act” that allows families to buy hot rotisserie chickens with food stamps.
“It’s ridiculous for the government to tell working parents they can’t buy such a common staple for an affordable, quick, healthy meal,” Rivet said.
Mendoza criticized Michigan representatives who voted against Rivet’s provision.
“What's in this farm bill has been coming for a long time,” Mendoza said. “The House Republicans farm bill pulls a page directly from the Project 2025 agenda.”
