Dear House Agriculture Committee Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member Craig:
On behalf of the 15 million workers and 64 affiliate unions represented by the AFL-CIO, I urge you to oppose H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, without drastic changes. The bill includes provisions that would weaken worker protections, safety standards, and access to nutrition assistance for families already struggling with the high cost of food.
We are concerned that the bill does not address the deep cuts and cost shifts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enacted in H.R. 1, which threaten state budgets and put food assistance at risk for millions of households. SNAP is the nation’s most effective anti-hunger program and supports jobs throughout the food economy. Failing to stabilize the program will cause wide-ranging harm to communities across the country. The bipartisan National Governors Association, alongside cities and counties, has urged Congress to pursue a number of urgent measures to avoid jeopardizing SNAP in the wake of H.R. 1, such as delaying the cost-shifting and delaying the cuts to program administration. Unfortunately, H.R. 7567 makes none of these desperately needed changes.
We also have concerns about provisions related to hemp and meat production that could reduce oversight in industries employing large numbers of workers, leaving that production without adequate safeguards to protect worker safety or consumers. In addition, proposals that remove merit-based staffing protections or open the door to privatization without strong federal oversight raise serious concerns about program integrity and service quality. SNAP eligibility decisions should remain in the hands of trained public employees to ensure fairness, accuracy, and accountability.
Congress should pursue policies that support workers and consumers by protecting nutrition assistance, strengthening labor standards and merit-based staffing, and investing in safe, good-paying jobs throughout the food supply chain. Unfortunately, H.R. 7567 misses the mark on all these fronts. For these reasons, we urge the Committee to reject this legislation and pursue a more bipartisan path forward.
Sincerely,
Jody Calemine
Director, Government Affairs