House Ag Democrats Roll Out Farm and Family Relief Act as Counter to Trump Tariffs and SNAP Cost Shifts
Craig-led framework pairs tariff curbs, delayed SNAP cost shifts, and nearly $60 billion in farm and family aid
House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-Minn.) today (Jan. 15) unveiled the framework for the Farm and Family Relief Act, a sweeping Democratic proposal aimed at offsetting the economic fallout from President Donald Trump’s tariffs and recent changes to federal nutrition assistance policy.
Speaking alongside Democratic colleagues on the Ag Committee, Craig framed the proposal as a direct response to what she described as rising food prices, mounting farm losses, and a looming cost shift in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that would push billions of dollars onto state governments.
“Americans know that life is simply more expensive today than when President Trump took office last year,” Craig said. “Family farmers have been bankrupted by Trump’s ill-conceived trade wars, and states are facing the terrifying reality that they may need to let millions of residents go hungry because of his heartless cuts to food assistance.”
Three-part relief package
According to a one-page framework (link) released by the committee, the legislation is built around three major components: family relief, farm relief, and tariff reform.
Family relief (~$28 billion):
The proposal would delay for four years a planned shift of SNAP benefit costs to states and for two years a related increase in administrative cost sharing. Democrats argue the delay is necessary to preserve program viability, citing warnings from governors and local officials that states could otherwise be forced to cut benefits, raise taxes, or even withdraw from SNAP altogether.
Farm relief (~$29 billion):
The bill would provide one-time supplemental payments to agricultural producers facing high input costs and market losses linked to tariffs and trade disputes. Unlike the administration’s $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program — which farm groups have criticized as insufficient — the Democratic framework would broaden eligibility to producers left out of prior aid, including foresters, specialty crop growers, and sugar beet producers. Payments would also cover prevented-planting acres that were excluded under earlier USDA programs.
Tariff relief:
The framework calls for reasserting congressional authority over tariffs and foreign commerce, a move Democrats say would rein in unilateral trade actions and reduce uncertainty with key partners such as Canada and Mexico. Craig said the goal is to address what she described as the “root of the problem” driving higher consumer prices and lost export markets.
Mounting economic pressure
Democrats are backing the proposal with data showing worsening conditions across both farm country and household budgets. The American Farm Bureau Federation estimated last fall that U.S. farmers have accumulated more than $50 billion in losses over the past three crop years, with the 2025-26 crop year alone accounting for roughly $28 billion — losses farm leaders attribute in large part to tariff impacts.
At the consumer level, fruit and vegetable prices are up an average of 5.3%, while food consumed away from home has risen about 4.1%, further straining household budgets.
Craig emphasized that the bill is designed as an all-or-nothing package. “The Farm and Family Relief Act doesn’t pick winners and losers,” she said. “Only as a package can we deliver true relief to the American people.”
The framework was unveiled with Reps. Shontel Brown of Ohio, Jim Costa of California, Jahana Hayes of Connecticut, Andrea Salinas of Oregon, Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico, and Kristen McDonald Rivet of Michigan, signaling a coordinated Democratic push as House Agriculture Committee debates over farm, trade, and nutrition policy intensify heading into the election year.
Comments: The Democratic farm bill/farm aid package likely caught Republicans on the panel off guard. The proposal is smart politics and is a reaction to a go-slow approach by farm-state Republicans on Farm Bill 2.0 and further aid for farmers.
