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The Senate Agriculture Committee has unveiled its Republican-backed “One Big Beautiful Bill” proposal, aiming for smaller reductions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) than what the House approved in late May. The House’s plan aimed to decrease SNAP spending by nearly $300 billion, whereas the Senate’s proposal would cut $209 billion from the program.
The bill also included significant investments in the specialty crop industry, supported by the National Potato Council (NPC) and the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, of which NPC is a co-chair.
NPC thanked Senate Agriculture Chairman John Boozman and his staff for including vital specialty crop investments in the committee’s reconciliation draft. “The provisions supporting specialty crop growers are not merely beneficial – they are essential for the survival and international competitiveness of our family farms and the entire U.S. potato industry,” said NPC President Ted Tschirky, a potato grower from Washington state. “We appreciate Chairman Boozman for demonstrating a clear commitment to improving the challenging economic landscape faced by our nation’s farmers.”
Those specialty crop funding enhancements funded in the draft include:
- Specialty Crop Research Initiative: $175 million per year (an increase from $80 million)
- Specialty Crop Block Grant Program: $100 million per year (an increase from $85 million)
- Adjusted Gross Income: The limitation is eliminated if 75% or more income is derived from farming
- Market Access Program: $200 million (a 100% increase)
- Section 7721 – Pest and Disease programs under Plant Protection Act: $90 million per year (an increase from $75 million)
“America’s family potato farms have endured significant competitive challenges since the 2018 Farm Bill was passed, and those growers have been waiting for modernized tools since that bill originally expired. Senator Boozman’s specialty crop provisions address that need, and they must be urgently passed by Congress, signed by the President, and enacted into law through any viable legislative vehicle,” said NPC CEO Kam Quarles.