For years, Arkansas farmers, ranchers and producers have been calling for a modernized Farm Bill. Economic conditions have changed dramatically since the last bill was signed into law in 2018. 

That’s why Congress, led by Republicans on the agriculture committees in the House and Senate, made critical enhancements to farm programs in the Working Families Tax Cuts. The historic improvements to the farm safety net better protect against economic uncertainty and market volatility to ensure the next generation can continue to farm. We increased investments in farm programs, crop insurance, trade, research and other important initiatives for rural America.

This was Farm Bill 1.0. But because we have been committed to delivering a comprehensive farm bill, we didn’t stop there. So much of this year has been spent developing Farm Bill 2.0 to provide additional resources that farmers and rural communities need to thrive.

This month, I was proud to lead the Senate Agriculture Committee in advancing Farm Bill 2.0, the Agriculture Act of 2026. Committee passage is an important step, but there is more work to do before it gets to the president’s desk.

Hours before the bill passed the committee, I met with Arkansas producers who shared the importance of this legislation and how Farm Bill 2.0 will help ensure a stable future for the agriculture industry and rural America alike. These policies reflect today’s realities and provide producers with the tools and certainty necessary for them to keep producing the food, fiber and fuel our nation depends on.

Farm Bill 2.0 was shaped from the ground up by farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, conservationists and rural community leaders. The legislation incorporates more than 100 bipartisan priorities and includes provisions intended to strengthen farm programs, modernize agricultural financing, enhance conservation and bolster rural communities.

The voices of Arkansas producers have been particularly important in this process. In a social media campaign urging support for Farm Bill 2.0, we featured aquaculture leader Mike Freeze and Arkansas Farm Bureau President Dan Wright who emphasized the ongoing challenges and why the legislation matters to their operations.

Arkansans understand that the Farm Bill reaches beyond fields and pastures. For rural communities, it plays a critical role in modernizing or building the infrastructure that helps deliver affordable energy, clean drinking water, high-speed broadband and essential services like reliable health care and childcare.

Communities in our state, like Mulberry, have benefited from U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development programs that help fund vital infrastructure. In August, I had the opportunity to congratulate city leaders on the repairs they made to expand capacity at its water treatment plant thanks to assistance delivered through this initiative. Farm Bill 2.0 will allow more of our rural communities to undertake these types of projects.

I will continue advocating for rural water infrastructure and other investments that help these communities meet basic needs and build for the future.

That is why we must get this legislation across the finish line now, not later.

Farm Bill 2.0 is about giving farmers, ranchers, rural families and communities the resources and certainty they need to succeed. Arkansas farmers cannot wait any longer.