WHAT HAPPENED: The Senate Agriculture Committee on Wednesday passed its version of the Farm Bill, the Agricultural Act of 2026, by a vote of 12-11, along partisan lines. The big sticking point is the Democrats’ push for at least a two-year delay for states faced with paying a portion of benefit costs under SNAP, depending on their payment error rates. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) who returned to the Senate this week after an absence since June due to a fall, was present to vote for the bill, giving Republicans a majority present to vote for it.
QUICK RECAP: The committee tried to move the measure in August, but Republican absences hindered GOP efforts. Both Sens. Mitch McConnell and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) were not present at the time.
NCC’s TAKE: “I want to thank Chairman Boozman for his leadership in advancing this important piece of legislation, and Senator Justice for his successful amendment that would add hot rotisserie chicken to the SNAP program,” said NCC President Harrison Kircher. “We are also especially appreciative that no provisions were included that would have negatively impacted the way chicken is contracted or marketed. “There are also several provisions in the bill that would positively impact chicken producers, including poultry health and disease monitoring programs, support for broiler exports, and natural disaster assistance,” Kircher added.
WHAT’s NEXT: The bill moves to the full Senate, where it will need 60 votes to pass. Assuming Senate passage, House and Senate negotiators would then convene a conference committee to reconcile differences with the House-passed Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 before a final compromise bill returns to both chambers for a vote and heads to the President’s desk.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “We’ll get together with the House and the Senate and discuss and figure out a path,” Senate Ag Committee Chaiman John Boozman (R-Ark.) told Bloomberg. “We don’t have time to put it on the floor right now, so we’ll be conferencing until after the election.”
Senate Ag Committee Chairman John Boozman (Photo by Brent Barnett/Brownfield)
WHAT HAPPENED: Speaker Mike Johnson announced Wednesday that he is sending House members home early for their seven-week campaign recess ahead of the midterm elections. House Republicans had planned to stay in session until Thursday but instead took their final votes Wednesday evening — including a Russia sanctions bill — before leaving town. GOP leadership had already shortened the chamber’s September schedule by two weeks earlier in the month.
WHY IT MATTERS: With control of the House up for grabs in November, the early exit gives members extra time on the ground in a large number of competitive races. The map includes dozens of competitive seats, and the extended window lets both parties’ incumbents and challengers put more time into door-knocking, fundraisers, and local media in the final stretch before Election Day. The early adjournment also means any unfinished legislative business will sit until lawmakers return, giving members more to campaign on, or against, once they’re back in their districts.
WHAT’S NEXT: The House is expected to return around Nov. 9, 2026, the week following the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The Senate, by contrast, is scheduled to remain in session for the next two weeks before beginning its own recess. Per the Senate’s 2026 calendar, the chamber will then be out for the month of October and the first week of November ahead of the midterms, returning for a total of seven working days before Thanksgiving, followed by three weeks in December ahead of the Christmas recess.
NCC staff in the past week traveled to two state poultry association events to give presentations. Ashley Peterson was on hand in Ocean City, Maryland to address the Delmarva Chicken Association’s 61st National Meeting on Poultry Health, Processing and Live Production. Meanwhile, Tom Super presented at the California Poultry Federation’s 2026 Annual Conference & Meeting in Monterey, California.
NCC features in a short spotlight column the official representative from each of our Allied Leader and Allied Member companies. This week’s Allied Member Spotlight is Emily Buehler, Associate Vice President – Poultry, at Farm Credit Mid-America.
We asked Emily three questions:
In 2-3 sentences, describe what good or service your company provides to the broiler industry.
Farm Credit Mid-America is a member-owned financial cooperative dedicated to supporting agriculture and rural communities. We provide financing and other financial services that help farmers and agribusinesses invest in their operations, manage risk, and position their businesses for long-term success. We’re proud to partner with America’s poultry farmers and the businesses that support them, helping strengthen an industry that plays a vital role in feeding families across the country and around the world.
Can you briefly describe your position and responsibilities within the company?
As Associate Vice President – Poultry, I work with poultry producers and agribusinesses every day to help them navigate opportunities, challenges, and plans for growth. Whether it’s financing a new project, expanding an operation, or planning for the next generation, I enjoy helping customers find solutions that fit their goals. One of the most rewarding parts of my role is getting to know the people behind these businesses and seeing the positive impact they have on their communities and on consumers across the country.
What is your favorite chicken dish?
Smoked bone-in chicken wings. There’s nothing better than spending a fall Saturday watching Ohio State football with family and friends while enjoying a plate fresh off the smoker.
The San Diego Chicken—also known as The Famous Chicken—was created in 1974 when San Diego State University student Ted Giannoulas was hired by rock station KGB-FM to wear a chicken suit for an Easter promotion at the San Diego Zoo. Before the Chicken, most sports mascots simply waved to crowds. Giannoulas introduced silent comedy routines, improvisational skits, and humorous feuds with umpires and players, establishing the modern sports mascot industry.
WHAT HAPPENED: A bipartisan group of more than two dozen House members sent a letter on August 28 to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer urging continued pressure on China to fully comply with the U.S.-China HPAI Regionalization Agreement. The letter, signed by 29 lawmakers, representing a majority of the districts that have production and are impacted by the bans, thanked Ambassador Greer for prioritizing chicken market access in recent negotiations with China but pressed for further action to remove remaining restrictions on U.S. chicken exports.
CATCH UP QUICKLY: The letter traces the dispute back to a March 2020 Regionalization Agreement, part of the Phase One Trade Agreement, which was designed to limit trade disruptions from HPAI detections by imposing only statewide (rather than nationwide) bans, with resumption of trade 90 days after virus elimination. While China initially followed those terms after the 2022 HPAI outbreak began, the General Administration of Customs China (GACC) reinstated broader bans in August 2022. By April 2026, 44 states were ineligible to export raw chicken to China — representing nearly 98 percent of registered U.S. chicken facilities.
Following President Trump’s May 2026 visit to China, GACC agreed to resume imports from HPAI-free states as designated by APHIS, lifting restrictions on 17 states. However, the lawmakers note China has not adhered to the agreed five-business-day window for lifting restrictions after receiving APHIS closeout reports. As of August 2026, 21 states remain banned, representing 34 percent of U.S. chicken production, though the letter acknowledges GACC recently lifted restrictions for eight additional states.
WHY IT MATTERS: China’s inconsistent enforcement of the Regionalization Agreement has significantly constrained one of the U.S. chicken industry’s most valuable export markets, particularly for paws and dark meat cuts with limited domestic demand. As recently as 2022, China was the second-largest export market for U.S. chicken, with more than 622,000 metric tons valued at over $1.1 billion. By 2025, shipments had fallen to just 93,978 metric tons valued at $291 million. The letter estimates China’s noncompliance with HPAI regionalization and relisting terms is costing American chicken producers more than $800 million annually.
NCC’s TAKE: NCC strongly welcomes this bipartisan letter and shares the lawmakers’ frustration with China’s inconsistent adherence to the HPAI Regionalization Agreement. We appreciate USTR’s work securing the recent state re-listings and echo the letter’s call for continued, sustained pressure on Beijing to honor its commitments. NCC will continue working with USTR, USDA, and Congress to press for full restoration of market access for all eligible states.
WHAT’S NEXT: The letter identifies Iowa, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina as states expected to soon meet the Regionalization Agreement’s provisions for lifted restrictions, pending no additional HPAI detections and timely Chinese action on APHIS closeout reports. Lawmakers are urging USTR to continue raising the issue with Chinese counterparts at every opportunity.
Source: Magnific
WHAT HAPPENED: The House on Tuesday passed the Senate’s version of a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government from September 30 — the end of the fiscal year — through December 11. The vote was 370-48, with 19 Republicans and 29 Democrats voting against it and 14 members not voting. The Senate had already approved the measure, and President Trump signed it on Wednesday, removing the threat of a shutdown.
WHAT IT DOES: The CR funds federal agencies generally at current levels through December 11, giving lawmakers additional time to negotiate a full-year funding measure. Republicans are seeking increased defense spending while cutting most non-defense programs; Democrats say that approach is a non-starter and are pushing for a bipartisan approach treating domestic programs with parity.
WHY IT MATTERS: Republicans and Democrats wanted to prevent any possible funding lapse ahead of the Nov. 3 elections, following a record 43-day shutdown last fall over expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits and a subsequent 76-day partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
WHAT’S NEXT: Government funding runs through December 11 under the CR. Lawmakers will need to reach agreement on full-year appropriations bills or another funding measure before that deadline.
WHAT HAPPENED: The California Legislature this week passed Assembly Bill 2244 (AB 2244), which would establish a first-of-its-kind state certification seal for food products that meet standards for not being “ultra-processed.” The bill, authored by Assembly Member Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), passed unanimously, with a 32-0 vote in the Senate and a 72-0 vote in the Assembly, before the Legislature closed its regular session for the year.
WHAT IT WOULD DO: Modeled after the USDA Organic label, AB 2244 would create a voluntary certification program allowing qualifying manufacturers to display a “Non-Ultra processed Certified” seal on packaging. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) would oversee the program, appointing accredited certification agents no later than June 1, 2029 to review manufacturer applications and monitor compliance.
The bill would also require large grocery retailers — those selling more than 25 individual non-UPF-certified product types and generating more than $10 million in annual sales — to make certified products clearly identifiable in-store, through signage, physical separation, or other visual cues. A Public Health Food and Nutrition Education Fund would be established, funded by certification agent registration fees, to support implementation and consumer education.
HOW UPFs ARE DEFINED: The bill broadly defines UPF as any food or beverage containing one or more ingredients with a “specific technical effect,” including surface-active agents, stabilizers and thickeners, propellants, colors, and emulsifiers, among others. Products containing dyes, flavor enhancers, non-sugar sweeteners, and certain other additives would not qualify for the seal.
WHY IT MATTERS: AB 2244 would be the first state-level, government-backed certification program of its kind for non-ultra-processed foods. While the bill applies only in California, the state’s prior UPF-related legislation has prompted similar bills in other states, raising the prospect that AB 2244 could serve as a model nationally.
NCC’s TAKE: While AB 2244 is a state matter rather than a federal one, NCC has strong concerns with any effort to define or classify foods as “ultra-processed” or not, including at the state level. As outlined in NCC’s October 2025 comments to FDA and USDA, NCC believes process-based classification systems — including the NOVA framework that underlies much of the current UPF discourse — are scientifically flawed and misleading. Such systems ignore nutrient density and protein quality, apply inconsistently even among trained nutrition professionals, and lump nutritionally disparate foods together based solely on how they are made rather than what they contain. A breaded chicken tender, which delivers high-quality, complete protein along with iron, zinc and B-vitamins, is treated the same as candy or soda simply because both meet a “processed” threshold. NCC continues to urge policymakers to center any food policy on nutritional composition, not processing method, and cautions that classification schemes like AB 2244’s could stigmatize affordable, nutrient-dense foods that millions of families, schools and food assistance programs rely on.
WHAT’S NEXT: The bill heads to Governor Gavin Newsom, who has until September 30 to sign or veto it; he is expected to sign.
