Deb Fischer

Mr. President, the last time that Congress passed a full farm bill was in 2018; that was 8 years ago, and that law expired in 2023. We should have passed a new bill by then, but Congress has only passed short-term extensions. A lot has changed over the past 8 years, and the farm economy looks vastly different.

To be frank, America's farmers and ranchers are struggling. Drought, high input costs and low yields have made it a very trying time.

I heard some of these concerns firsthand in August during a livestock roundtable in Crawford, NE. I also heard this at our State fair where I listened to ag producers from across our State.

These producers are in dire need of a modern farm bill, and we owe it to them--the people who feed, fuel, and clothe us all--to enact policies that promote stability and markets to sell their products.

I keep this goal front and center as a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee. And I am proud to say that last week, we advanced the farm bill out of committee. We are one step closer to giving America's farmers and ranchers the long-term certainty that they need.

But I am disappointed in how long it took us to get there. You know, we first tried to move the farm bill in July. The Agriculture Committee took a vote, but it failed. Every Republican voted yes. Every single Democrat voted no. This was particularly disappointing given that this year's farm bill includes numerous priorities led by Democrats.

Republicans worked in good faith to include their legislation to help the producers in their States. I am proud of those bipartisan priorities in this bill. I worked with Chairman Boozman to build policies that support a safe, steady supply of food, fuel, and fiber.

Importantly, our bill also includes locking in permanent year-round E15. This is one of the most direct ways that Congress can provide relief without subsidies, by strengthening domestic demand for corn and ethanol.

We cannot continue to operate on the current waiver system. For 8 years now, we have needed a Presidential waiver for E15 to be sold during the summertime. And these waivers, they have been granted every year. But this uncertainty makes it harder for producers and retailers to invest and plan.

Permanent year-round E15, well, that would create a consistent, predictable market. It would allow farmers, ethanol plants, and fuel stations to operate with confidence.

Our biofuels producers and our retailers need that certainty. They deserve a stable market 12 months out of the year, and I have been fighting for this for over a decade. It is long overdue.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there circulating around E15. Let me be clear: This bill is not a government mandate. It simply gives fuel retailers the choice if they want to sell E15 at their gas station. And it also gives consumers a choice to fill up with E15 at the gas pump and to save some money.

The Environmental Protection Agency confirmed that E15 is completely safe in cars made in 2001 or later.

Let me repeat that. If you have a vehicle manufactured in 2001 or later, E15 can be used in your car. It does not hurt your engine.

So please, colleagues, public, quit saying that.

E15 expands domestic fuel options using American-grown corn. This reduces vulnerability to global supply

shocks. A more diverse energy mix of oil, gas, renewables, nuclear, and biofuels makes the United States harder to pressure, and it makes us more resilient in times of conflict and disruption.

In addition to E15, this year's farm bill includes my precision ag package, three bills that will help America's producers harness the full potential of precision agriculture. We need to make it more affordable for our farmers and ranchers to be able to access these cutting-edge tools.

In turn, we can help their operations become more productive, more efficient, and less resource intensive.

This farm bill also includes my legislation to prevent future food shortages in our Tribal nutrition programs. By incorporating input from Tribes on contracting decisions, we can strengthen this important resource for communities that depend upon it. And I was very, very happy to work with my Tribes in making sure that we got that included in this bill.

Additionally, I secured a provision to safeguard Federal conservation funds from being exploited by America's adversaries. This is going to protect U.S. taxpayers and our domestic manufacturers from being taken advantage of.

And, finally, I am very pleased to see my colleague Senator Ricketts' FENCE Act included, a bill that I cosponsored. Senator Ricketts' bill will give farmers and ranchers an opportunity to use virtual fencing as they build and recover from natural disasters, and this is especially helpful after the historic and devastating wildfires that blazed across Nebraska earlier this year.

All of these provisions are needed. Together, they make a 2026 farm bill a strong bipartisan legislation that truly serves our farmers, our ranchers, and rural Americans.

As a committee, we did the work. We agreed to include good bills from both Democrats and Republicans. We built strong bipartisan support for year-round E15. We offered a fair compromise on SNAP cost-share concerns.

We compromised on many items, and now we need to get this done. Let's pass the farm bill. Let's give America's farmers and ranchers the stability that they need.

To my colleagues, please, join me, and let's get this over the finish line.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I have six requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders.

Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum calls with respect to the Pozos and Traynor nominations.

I yield the floor.