House delays farm bill after E15 and pesticide revolt

The E15 dispute sits at the intersection of agriculture policy, energy policy, and small business regulation. E15 is gasoline blended with 15 percent corn ethanol, compared to the standard E10 blend containing 10 percent ethanol. Current EPA regulations prohibit E15 sales during summer months in most states because high-volatility gasoline contributes to smog in warm weather.

Corn ethanol producers, farmers, and biofuels advocates have for years sought year-round E15 sales, which would expand the market for corn and create a cheaper fuel option for consumers. The E15 amendment was led by Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN) and co-sponsored by more than 20 lawmakers including Randy Feenstra (R-IA) and Stephanie Bice (R-OK).

The amendment was backed by a coalition including the American Petroleum Institute, Growth Energy, and the Renewable Fuels Association. Opponents including Rep. Chip Roy argued the provision benefited large ethanol producers at the expense of small oil refineries and represented an unconstitutional mandate that would cost consumers and refiners without commensurate benefits.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) warned the day before the vote that the E15 provision was 'E15 crap' and a problem for conservative hardliners. Roy's opposition represented a faction of the House Republican conference that views ethanol mandates as government market interference that benefits large agribusiness. The American Petroleum Institute and a broad coalition of industry groups including fuel refiners, ethanol producers, and agricultural stakeholders had written to Congress urging passage of the E15 amendment, creating an unusual alliance across normally competing energy sectors.

Senate Republicans privately told Politico they planned to write their own farm bill rather than accept the House's E15 approach, and that the provision was dead on arrival in the upper chamber. This Senate position meant that even if the House passed the farm bill with E15, the Senate would likely strip it or refuse to take up the House bill. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn 'GT' Thompson acknowledged this dynamic, saying E15 didn't fall under Agriculture Committee jurisdiction and that the energy side of the bill required Energy and Commerce Committee sign-off.

A second major conflict emerged over pesticide liability provisions in the farm bill. Rep. Paulina Luna (R-FL) led opposition to provisions that would limit lawsuits against pesticide manufacturers, restrict local governments from imposing additional pesticide regulations, and eliminate the requirement for extra permits for pesticide application. Luna, who sponsored an amendment to remove these provisions, said she had 'the votes to remove the pesticide liability protection' clause.

She initially opposed the rule but switched her vote to yes after leadership committed to allowing her pesticide amendment to be considered when the bill returned. The pesticide provisions created a divide between pro-business Republicans who supported manufacturer liability protections and Make America Again-aligned conservatives who opposed what they viewed as corporate protection from accountability. This cross-cutting conflict — separate from and additional to the E15 fight — illustrated how the farm bill's broad scope creates multiple simultaneous battlefronts within the majority party.

Speaker Johnson held the procedural rule vote open for more than two hours, the longest floor vote pause in recent memory. The rule packaged the farm bill, FISA renewal, and DHS immigration funding together in a single procedural package, meaning all three bills needed approval together. Johnson could afford to lose only a few votes with full attendance. With approximately 16 Republicans initially withholding support, the rule appeared headed for defeat.

The breakthrough came when Johnson's team cut individual deals with holdouts. Boebert agreed to vote yes after leadership committed to including her amendments related to the Arkansas Valley Conduit water project in southeastern Colorado and reclassifying millet as a specialty crop, which affects access to Agriculture Department programs and funding. Luna agreed to vote yes after getting assurance that her pesticide liability amendment would receive a vote when the bill came back. The rule passed 216-210, after which leadership confirmed the farm bill itself would be delayed.

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn 'GT' Thompson (R-PA) expressed optimism even after the delay, telling farm broadcasters at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting's Washington Watch on April 29 that he expected the full House to pass the farm bill by noon on Thursday. He confirmed E15 would be handled as a standalone bill rather than an amendment to the farm bill — a strategy the Rules Committee had actually settled on before the floor chaos erupted. By late Wednesday, House leaders were confirming the farm bill would return to the floor with amendments starting Thursday.

The strategic separation of E15 from the farm bill was designed to allow each issue to move on its own merits without either one sinking the other. House Democratic Congresswoman Angie Craig (D-MN) told reporters she would vote for the standalone E15 bill despite it not being 'her favorite bill,' suggesting the E15 legislation could draw bipartisan support when separated from the broader farm bill controversy.

The farm bill delay continues a pattern of Congress struggling to pass major multi-year authorization bills on time. The Highway Bill, the National Defense Authorization Act, FAA reauthorization, and farm bills have all experienced extended delays in recent Congresses, forcing reliance on continuing resolutions and extensions. The farm bill in particular has become a vehicle for fights over SNAP eligibility rules, a priority for urban Democrats; commodity subsidy formulas, a priority for rural Republicans; and conservation funding levels, an issue that crosses party lines.

Food security advocates expressed concern about the ongoing delay. SNAP serves approximately 42 million Americans, and uncertainty about the program's future authorization can affect both benefit levels and administrative capacity at the state and county level. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and other farming groups had urged House passage of a farm bill that invested in conservation and rural infrastructure, arguing that the current policy uncertainty was forcing farmers into higher-risk financial decisions.