Proposed Rule Threatens Farmer Funding and Undermines USDA Programs - RAFI

Tell your legislators: Farmers need federal funding to be reliable.

USDA’s signature on the dotted line should mean something.

Join us for a Call-Your-Legislator event, or call on your own schedule!

A new rule recently released by the Trump Administration would give political appointees new powers to cancel funding agreements at will for a huge number of federal programs, including some USDA funding that goes directly to farmers.

Yes. In essence, the proposed rule seeks to validate the way that the Trump administration has been controlling federal funding – freezing and canceling grants, and disregarding congressional funding directives.

Call your legislator, or read more about the rule here.

Anyone who receives federal funding or services supported by federal funding remembers the uncertainty and chaos of 2025 when federal funds were arbitrarily frozen or canceled. The new proposed rule would validate those practices and make federal funding decisions subject to partisan politics rather than objective criteria or Congressional intent. Read RAFI’s public comment opposing the rule.

Farmers face enough uncertainty from weather, input prices, and market fluctuations. They don’t need to also worry about whether the federal government will honor its commitments.

Congress passed a short-term delay on the OMB rule, through December 11th—but we need a permanent fix. Congress needs to act more decisively, and for that they need to hear from us.

Call today or join us for a virtual call-your-legislator event on November 16th from 1:00 -2:00 pm ET. We’ll provide background on the rule, share tips for calling congressional offices, give attendees a chance to practice, and then place our calls during the event. We know it can feel scary to call your legislators. Let’s do it together!