Government Affairs Insights on Floral

February 20, 2026

House Ag Committee Releases 2026 Farm Bill Text

On Friday, February 13, the House Committee on Agriculture released bill text and title-by-title summaries for the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. The markup is scheduled to begin the afternoon of Monday, February 23, and go through Wednesday, February 25, as needed. This farm bill produced by the majority closely resembles the version that was passed out of Committee in 2024 (H.R. 8467) minus the agricultural provisions included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21). This includes several carried-over specialty crop provisions such as funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) and mechanization. Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) stated in the initial announcement that, “a new farm bill is long overdue, and the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 is an important step forward in providing certainty to our farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.” A few notable changes in the 2026 version of the ‘skinny’ farm bill include codifying the transfer of the Food for Peace program to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), language to address and overturn California’s Proposition 12, and updates regarding current pesticide labeling standards. Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-MN) responded to the release of text by stating, “the Republican farm bill fails to meet the moment facing farmers and working people.” You can find the following resources for the 2026 Farm Bill below:

U.S. and Ecuador Trae Agreement Nearly Finalized

On February 13, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) made an announcement that the U.S. had substantially concluded negotiations with the Republic of Ecuador for an agreement on reciprocal trade. A final signature on the agreement is expected in the coming weeks. While details have yet to be made public, it is likely the reciprocal tariff on floral products will be largely reduced or removed entirely. You can find the official press release from USTR here.

Sen. Klobuchar to Jump in MN Governor Race, Leaving Room for New Senate Ag Dem Leadership

On January 29, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) officially announced her intent to run for governor of Minnesota after much speculation of her candidacy. She aims to succeed current Democratic Governor Tim Walz, who has already publicized that he will not seek re-election. Minnesota election laws do not prohibit a candidate from running for governor while already holding an elected office. Therefore, Sen. Klobuchar will not have to give up her seat in the Senate while running, which is not up for reelection until 2030. Notably, if Sen. Klobuchar were to win the gubernational election, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) is likely to be the front runner for the top Democratic spot on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. This is largely because the three other Senators ahead of him in seniority, including Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), have announced their upcoming retirements from the Senate. Sen. Booker has already expressed interest and excitement in taking on the role within the Committee. During his time on the Committee, he has focused on increasing access to healthy foods, improving child nutrition, and preventing large scale agricultural concentration. Personally, he is a vegan and a strong supporter of animal welfare. He has been outspoken on many techniques used by the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to combat feral hogs, particularly aerial gunning. Sen. Booker has spoken against agricultural commodity checkoff programs, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO), and meat packing plants. New and open leadership positions will look to be filled after midterms and likely within the first few weeks of the next Congress.

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