The House narrowly approved a sprawling five-year farm bill on Thursday, voting 224-200 to reauthorize agricultural and food programs after a week of internal GOP strife that nearly sank the legislation. The measure drew support from 209 Republicans, 14 Democrats, and one independent, while three Republicans and 197 Democrats opposed it.
The bill, described by the House Agriculture Committee as expanding rural investments, restoring science-based forest management, and providing regulatory certainty for interstate commerce, became a flashpoint for divisions within the Republican conference. The fight centered on two issues: year-round sales of E15 gasoline and pesticide liability protections.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) faced a rebellion from oil-state Republicans after GOP leaders paired the farm bill with a separate measure to permit year-round E15 sales—a priority for corn-state lawmakers but a concern for those representing oil interests due to smog regulations. Johnson initially agreed to delay the farm bill vote to resolve the dispute, but later announced plans to proceed with amendments, angering both factions and threatening a must-pass vote on Wednesday night.
“We got the rule passed with the discussion in the back that we would … delay voting on the farm bill and E15. But then a lot of the E15 proponents are very interested in the farm bill progressing,” Johnson said Wednesday evening. The eventual deal, reached after a late-night meeting, calls for the House to pass procedural legislation the week of May 11 to separate the E15 bill from the farm bill while guaranteeing an up-or-down vote on the ethanol measure.
Another major rift emerged over pesticide provisions that would limit lawsuits against manufacturers, block local governments from adding extra regulations, and eliminate the need for additional permits. These measures pitted pro-business Republicans against members of the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement, who oppose broad pesticide use. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) successfully sponsored an amendment to strike all three provisions, which was adopted before the final vote.
The farm bill’s passage comes amid broader GOP infighting on other fronts, including disputes over DHS funding following a recent assassination attempt on former President Trump. The party’s internal divisions have also spilled into debates on immigration and border security, as highlighted in recent coverage of GOP tensions over DHS funding.
Democrats largely opposed the bill, with only 14 crossing party lines. Critics argued the legislation favored corporate agribusiness over small farmers and failed to adequately address climate resilience or nutrition assistance. The Senate is expected to take up its own version of the farm bill in the coming months, where similar partisan battles are anticipated.
The White House has not yet indicated whether President Trump will sign the House version, but the administration has signaled support for streamlining agricultural regulations and expanding biofuel markets. Meanwhile, the Speaker’s ability to navigate the E15 and pesticide disputes may bolster his standing among conservatives, though the narrow vote margin underscores the fragility of his coalition.
