Ag Industry Pushes for Farm Bill Action, Regulatory Relief After Johnson’s Dramatic Reelection

Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson was reelected as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in dramatic fashion on Friday as the 119th Congress got underway. Johnson eventually secured the necessary 218 Republican votes after a couple representatives changed their position before the final tally.

Kentucky representative Thomas Massie was the lone GOP member to vote against Johnson. This was not a surprise as Massie has been outspoken about his lack of support for Johnson.

Johnson became Speaker for the first time in October 2023, ending three weeks of vacancy in the role after Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted.

Agricultural industry groups stressed their priorities for Congress as lawmakers gathered for the first time in 2025.

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

“Congratulations to Speaker Johnson on successfully navigating a narrow margin and being elected as Speaker of the House by his peers once again. Speaker Johnson has always been a strong supporter of U.S. cattle producers, and we look forward to continuing to work with him in the new Congress,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane.

The organization listed extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passing a long-term farm bill, and “providing regulatory relief to producers that have been squeezed by government overreach over the past four years” as top priorities for the new congress.

National Corn Growers Association

Without naming specific politicians, leaders of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) welcomed members of the new Congress to Capitol Hill.

“We are here to congratulate our friends and allies who were re-elected to Congress and introduce ourselves to those being sworn in for the first time,” Kenneth Hartman Jr., board president, said. “We look forward to continuing our work with members on both sides of the aisle as we advocate for legislation that is important to corn growers.”

NCGA’s top issues include securing passage of legislation that would ensure year-round consumer access to higher blends of ethanol, federal tax policies that are favorable to agriculture, and reauthorization of a comprehensive farm bill, the organization confirmed in a statement.

American Farm Bureau

American Farm Bureau did not comment on Johnson’s reelection. However, when the Speaker was first elected President Zippy Duvall said, “Speaker Johnson has a strong history of supporting America’s farmers and ranchers, which has earned him the ‘Friend of Farm Bureau’ award multiple times.”

In a Newsline podcast interview published Dec. 31, Sam Kieffer, Vice President of Public Policy explained the work Congress needs to do at the beginning of 2025.

“They need to get back to the business of doing a farm bill,” Kieffer said. “We’ve been kicking the can down the road for the better part of two years. Congress also has to deal with expiring tax provisions before the end of 2025. Not to mention, there’s a number of regulatory oversight opportunities for members of Congress. They also need to figure out the budget, and the current budget only goes until March.”