Every five years, Congress must pass the “Farm Bill,” a major piece of legislation that funds nutrition, agriculture, and conservation programs across the United States. The Farm Bill has historically been a strong bipartisan bill that benefits farmers and families equally by providing food assistance, ensuring market stability, and contributing to economic growth.  

In late April, the House of Representatives passed this year’s Farm Bill: the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 8467). Unfortunately, this bill fails to address the critical hunger and environmental crises facing the United States. The 2026 Farm Bill is considered the last chance to fight against the $187 billion dollar cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) implemented by last summer’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” but this bill does absolutely nothing to reverse those cuts. The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 also contains harmful provisions that would limit the ability of states to regulate pollution from industrial-sized livestock facilities, lift environmental review requirements for certain logging operations, and eliminate $1 billion in funding from the Agriculture Department’s flagship environmental stewardship program.    

Any Farm Bill that the Senate advances must address both address America’s hunger crisis and the environmental crisis we are facing. Urge the Senate to oppose the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 and draft a new Farm Bill that fully meets the moment.   

Jewish Text:  

The Torah commands us to feed the hungry and more generally care for the needy. Leviticus 19:9-10 says, “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not completely harvest the corner (peah) of your field; and the gleanings (leket) of your harvest you shall not gather. And you shall not take the undeveloped (unripe) grape clusters of your vineyard, nor shall you gather the dropped harvest of your vineyard. For the poor person and the stranger you shall leave them; I Adonai am your God.” Jews must work towards building a world that fulfills this vision – in which those with more resources can help those who have less. 

Further, the Torah teaches that production and conservation in Jewish thought go hand-in-hand. In Genesis 2:15, we read that “The human being was placed in the Garden of Eden to till it and to tend it.” Jews understand this to mean that Jews have a commitment to taking care of our planet.  Ultimately, Judaism commands us to protect the planet and feed the hungry, and this Farm Bill does neither. 

More Information: 

For more information, visit the RAC’s Economic Justice page or contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Sari Rosenberg (srosenberg@rac.org). 

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