Congressman Don Davis Votes to Stand with Farmers, Producers, and Rural Communities across NC-01

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Don Davis (NC-01), Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee's Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee, issued the following statement after voting to report out of Committee favorably H.R. 7567, Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.

"Over the past year, about 15,000 farms have closed, taking with them livelihoods, family legacies, and dealing a huge blow to rural America. Farmers are facing rising costs and uncertainty. Congress must pass a Farm Bill to invest in the hands that feed, clothe, and fuel American agriculture," said Congressman Davis.

Key Provisions Championed by Congressman Davis:

Promoting precision agriculture:

(Includes provisions from H.R. 1985, Promoting Precision Agriculture Act, introduced by Congressman Davis)

• Establishes a partnership between the federal government and the private sector to create voluntary interconnectivity standards.

• Prioritizes the cybersecurity needs for precision agriculture technologies.

Protecting farmers and rural communities from natural disasters:

(Includes provisions from H.R. 1858, Flooding Prevention, Assessment, and Restoration Act, introduced by Congressman Davis)

• Empowers communities to restore flood protection in watersheds to levels above pre-disaster conditions through the NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program-a federal initiative for emergency recovery.

• Directs the USDA to conduct a comprehensive national agriculture flood vulnerability study. This study will provide vital insights into flood risks on agricultural lands, equipping producers with actionable data to make informed decisions and implement effective mitigation strategies.

• Reduces the local cost-share requirement to access the Watershed Rehabilitation Program for communities in limited resource areas. This NRCS program was designed to rehabilitate aging dams that no longer meet federal or state safety criteria, ensuring the continued safety of communities downstream.

Prioritizing underserved and distressed rural communities:

(Includes provisions from H.R. 2109, Cybersecurity for Rural Water Systems Act, H.R. 6433, Rural Uplift and Revitalization Assistance Act, and H.R. 7530, Assistance for Rural Water Systems Act, introduced by Congressman Davis)

• Authorizes USDA to provide technical assistance to strengthen local capacity and improve access to rural development programs for geographically underserved and distressed rural areas, directly, or through cooperative agreements.

• Codifies the USDA Circuit Rider Program by allowing funds for the program to provide cybersecurity technical assistance to rural water systems.

• Provides low-interest loans and loan forgiveness for rural communities seeking to upgrade their water systems.

Expanding rural entrepreneurship in persistent poverty counties:

(Includes provisions from an amendment led by Congressman Davis during markup of the bill)

• Reduces the matching requirement for organizations participating in the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP) from 15 percent to 5 percent in persistent poverty counties-areas where poverty rates have remained at or above 20 percent for decades.

Helping military veterans find careers in agriculture:

(Includes provisions from H.R. 1230, AG VETS Act, co-led by Congressman Davis)

• Codifies the Agriculture Grants for Veteran Education and Training Services (AgVets) program to establish farming and ranching opportunities for military veterans.

Keeping family farms in the possession of farm families:

(Includes provisions from H.R. 6385, Farm Transitions Act of 2025, introduced by Congressman Davis)

• Reauthorizes the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commission on Farm Transitions and requires the Commission to deliver a comprehensive set of policy recommendations to Congress within two years, focusing on ensuring that next-generation farmers have access to the land, resources, and support needed to keep family farms strong for the future.

Doubling funding for crucial agriculture trade programs:

• Doubles the Market Access Program (MAP) funding from $200 million to $410 million.

• Doubles the Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program from $34.5 million to $82 million.