Reconciliation Lookback: Farm Subsidy Policy and the Future of the Farm Bill

Featuring

[Moderator] Jerry Theodorou, Director, Finance, Insurance, and Trade, R Street Institute

Caroline Melear, Resident Fellow, Finance, Insurance, and Trade, R Street Institute

Vincent Smith, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Director of Agricultural Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute

Overview

Farm subsidy policy has been a major aspect of the budget reconciliation process. Within the “big, beautiful bill” are some big, not-so-beautiful increases in commodity subsidies. Despite calls to reduce the size and scope of the federal government—as well as cultural, health-focused shifts—the bill further consolidates American agribusiness among a few key crops and major producers.

Join the R Street Institute as we discuss these changes with a focus on what the future may hold for crop insurance and federal farm policy.

Additional Reading:

• Big but Not Beautiful: Agricultural Policy in the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill