Dear Representative:
On behalf of the 15 million workers and 65 affiliate unions represented by the AFL-CIO, I urge you to oppose the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026, H.R. 7657 when it comes before the House this week. This bill does not meet the needs of workers, consumers, or communities.
First, the bill fails to address harmful SNAP changes enacted in H.R. 1. Those provisions shift significant costs to states and put food assistance for over 40 millions American households at risk. Beginning October 1, 2026, H.R. 1 cuts federal SNAP administrative funding by 50 percent and, starting October 1, 2027, shifts new benefit costs to states. State and local leaders, including the bipartisan National Governors Association and National Association of Counties, have urged Congress to delay these changes. Without relief, states facing staffing shortages and outdated systems will see increased errors, longer delays, and reduced service for eligible families. Congress should be investing in modern systems and a trained public workforce, not cutting funds or encouraging privatization.
We are also concerned that the bill weakens merit-based staffing protections for SNAP administration and opens the door to privatization without USDA oversight. Eligibility determinations should remain with trained public employees accountable to the public and responsible for accurate and timely service.
The bill also misses an opportunity to strengthen labor standards and workplace safety across the food supply chain. Workers in agriculture, processing, transportation, retail, and food production deserve safe jobs, fair wages, and strong workplace protections. Instead, provisions related to hemp and meat production could reduce oversight in industries with large workforces, including weakening worker safety protections such as safeguards tied to processing line speeds in meat and poultry facilities, which are already under proposed increases by the USDA.
We also oppose Amendments 1 and 289, which would expand year-round sales of higher-ethanol fuel blends and further restrict small refinery exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard. These changes risk disadvantaging unionized and merchant refineries without blending capacity, increasing compliance costs and potentially worsening air quality in manufacturing communities that are already working to meet Clean Air Act requirements.
While we recognize positive elements, including the efforts to restore international food aid programs that support American union mariners and U.S. flag shipping, as well as biomass provisions supported by refinery and manufacturing unions, these do not outweigh the broader harms in this bill. For these reasons, we urge you to vote no and instead pursue bipartisan legislation that protects nutrition assistance, strengthens labor standards, preserves public accountability, and invests in good, safe jobs across the food system.
Sincerely,
Jody Calemine
Director, Government Affairs