Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2026 Appropriations

The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (Agriculture appropriations) funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)—except for the U.S. Forest Service—and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA, in the Department of Health and Human Services). It also carries the funding for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in alternating fiscal years; jurisdiction for CFTC appropriations is with Agriculture appropriations in the House and a different subcommittee in the Senate. Agriculture appropriations acts include both discretionary and mandatory funding, which differentiates Agriculture appropriations from some other appropriations acts. Congressional debate on appropriations is primarily about discretionary spending. Appropriations for mandatory spending programs, although not usually debated, are necessary to technically make funds available for those programs (e.g., entitlement programs, such as farm safety net and nutrition assistance programs, that were previously enacted under separate budget enforcement procedures). The primary discretionary spending accounts are for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); agricultural research; rural development loans and grants; the FDA; foreign food assistance and trade promotion; farm agency salaries and loans; food safety inspection; animal and plant health programs; and conservation program technical assistance. Congress enacted a full-year Agriculture Appropriations Act on November 12, 2025, as Division B of a three-bill minibus appropriation (P.L. 119-37) that carried a continuing resolution to reopen the government after a 43-day shutdown. The enacted full-year FY2026 appropriation provides $26.6 billion in discretionary appropriations and excludes the CFTC. This is an increase of $335 million from FY2025 on a comparable basis excluding CFTC (+1.3%). The largest increases in appropriations are for Community Facilities (+$659 million for congressionally directed spending), WIC (+$603 million), and Agricultural Research Service Buildings and Facilities (+$61 million for congressionally directed spending). These increases are partially offset by reductions to Food for Peace Title II international food aid grants (FFP; -$419 million), FDA (-$100 million), Farm Service Agency salaries (-$84 million), the Farm Production and Conservation Business Center (-$77 million), and additional rescissions (-$312 million). The enacted appropriation includes 746 projects designated as congressionally directed spending (i.e., earmarks) totaling $931 million across nine USDA accounts. The Rural Housing Service Community Facilities account is the most-earmarked account in Agriculture appropriations, followed by the Rural Utilities Service Rural Water and Waste Disposal account. The Trump Administration released a “skinny budget” on May 2, 2025, and a full budget request on May 30, 2025. The Trump Administration proposed $21.0 billion of discretionary appropriations in the jurisdiction of Agriculture appropriations, a $5.6 billion reduction (-21.1%). Among its largest reductions, it would have eliminated FFP (-$1.6 billion), McGovern-Dole Food for Education (-$240 million), and the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS; -$104 million). The request would have reduced the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS; -$799 million) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (-$642 million). The House Committee on Appropriations reported a bill, H.R. 4121 (H.Rept. 119-172), on June 23. It would have provided $25.5 billion in discretionary appropriations, a reduction of nearly $1.2 billion from FY2025 (-4.3%) and $4.5 billion more than the Administration’s request. The bill was not considered on the House floor as a separate measure. The Senate passed a minibus appropriations bill (H.R. 3944) with Agriculture as Division B on August 1. The Senate Committee on Appropriations had reported a bill, S. 2256 (S.Rept. 119-37), on July 10. The bill as reported and as passed the Senate would have provided $27.1 billion in discretionary appropriations, an increase of $785 million from FY2025 (+3.0%). This report summarizes the legislative development and amounts in the FY2026 appropriation compared with prior years.