Budzinski Statement on Vote Against Farm Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, released the following statement on her vote against the Farm Bill.

“I take seriously my responsibility to craft a Farm Bill that puts good policy over partisan politics. Unfortunately, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle do not feel the same. Drafted without input from Democratic lawmakers, the final version of the bill fails to address the many crises plaguing rural America – from hunger and high costs to shrinking commodities markets and widespread farm bankruptcies.

“While President Trump’s tariffs have cost Illinois families $1,700 and SNAP cuts will reduce food assistance, this bill ignores those urgent problems. It doesn’t include any policies to bring back export markets and instead slashes critical conservation efforts our farmers rely on. The rural communities I represent deserve better than this Farm Bill.”             

Despite her opposition to the final version of the bill, Budzinski fought to include important initiatives to improve the overall text and support Illinois growers. The amendments she introduced would: 

• Require USDA to update base acres for the first time since 1985 to ensure they accurately reflect what farmers currently grow.
• Prevent $1.055 billion in cuts to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which provides funding to help farmers implement individual conservation practices.
• Stop a ban on USDA dollars from being used for voluntary solar energy projects.                                             

###