Rep. Adam Gray, a Democrat representing California's 13th Congressional District, and Rep. Tom McClintock, a Republican from El Dorado Hills, both supported the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 as it moved through the House. The bill cleared the chamber Thursday and faces a more contentious path in the Senate, where lawmakers have disagreed over several of its provisions.
Gray framed his support around the needs of Central Valley agriculture. "Passing a bipartisan Farm Bill gives Valley farmers and ranchers the certainty they need to plan, manage risk, and keep producing," he said. "It strengthens support for American-grown products and invests in the tools needed to stay competitive. This is about keeping agriculture strong in the Central Valley."
McClintock's backing came with substantial reservations. He criticized provisions including what he called a "fraud-ridden" Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and agricultural subsidies he argued inflate consumer costs while remaining hidden from subsidy recipients. However, he identified forest management provisions as his primary motivation for supporting the measure. "I consider it a very high priority for the people of the Sierra Nevada to restore sound forest management to our federal lands," he said, pointing to two of his bills included in the legislation that streamline forest thinning processes and require rapid federal response to new fires.
McClintock praised the bill's work requirements for able-bodied adults receiving food assistance, restrictions on access by undocumented immigrants, and enhanced eligibility verification procedures. He claimed these provisions would save approximately $200 billion over the next decade by reducing what he characterized as program fraud.
Gray, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, secured passage of amendments protecting the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program by blocking the U.S. Department of Agriculture from imposing cost-sharing or matching requirements. He also advanced two amendments during the March markup process. One grants states flexibility to direct up to 20 percent of Emergency Food Assistance Program funds toward the USDA Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program, expanding procurement opportunities for Valley-grown produce. The second requires the USDA to report to Congress on how changes to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement affect the agriculture sector.
Gray further championed specialty crop growers by supporting increased funding for the Market Access Program, the Foreign Market Development Program, and the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops programs, along with establishment of a specialty crop advisory committee and expansion of procurement initiatives.
Agricultural organizations praised Gray's work on specialty crop protections. The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, the California Farm Bureau, the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, and the International Fresh Produce Association each released statements thanking Gray for safeguarding the program's flexibility and competitiveness provisions. The bill now proceeds to the Senate for further deliberation.
