Hayes Statement on House Passage of Farm Bill

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) voted no on the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. The legislation passed out of the House by a vote of 224 to 200. Congresswoman Jahana Hayes released the following statement. “ The Farm, Food, and National Security Act fails to meet the needs of families and farmers across the country and does nothing to substantively address the issues before the agricultural economy. Today, I voted no on final passage of the bill. The Farm Bill cements the $187 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), guts conservation programs, and continues to abandon small farms in Connecticut by not addressing issues with traditional crop insurance programs. Since H.R. 1 was enacted, more than 3 million Americans have been kicked off SNAP, with losses reported in every single state. In Connecticut, over 33,000 people have already lost their benefits and that number is expected to rise.  Families have been forced to make difficult decisions about keeping a roof over their head, paying for healthcare or feeding their families - not because their needs have changed, but because this Congress has changed the rules. I offered an amendment during Rules debate that would have restored full benefits to the 42 million Americans and another to rescind the administrative cost shift to states, unfortunately Republicans blocked it from coming to the House Floor. I also introduced an amendment to address the lack of safety nets for small farms by amending the Non-Insured Disaster Assistance Program and the Whole Farm Revenue Protection Program. Connecticut farmers have lost over $50 million due to weather-related events in recent years. Yet only 5% of Connecticut farms are enrolled in crop insurance, compared to 19% of farms nationally. My amendment would have provided a stronger safety net by expanding the number of farms eligible to purchase crop insurance, lower coverage costs for small farms, and directing the USDA to develop more responsive coverage options for farmers during extreme weather. This amendment was also blocked from consideration. A Farm Bill should meet the needs of all Americans – both rural and urban. This legislation does not. It does not address the failed tariff and trade policies plaguing family farmers, it does not restore benefits to hungry Americans, and it does not heed the warnings from states about the devastating impacts this legislation will have on state budgets. I join the more than 200 organizations, including farm, labor, conservation, hunger, and animal welfare groups who are opposed to this legislation. I will not vote to take food away from hungry people and leave Connecticut farmers behind. I will continue to work to address the pressing needs of my constituents affected by this legislation.”