Washington, D.C. (March 5, 2026) — Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued the following statement congratulating the House Agriculture Committee on advancing a new farm bill on a 34-17 vote.
“ICBA and the nation’s community banks support passage of the farm bill with further modifications to help ensure farmers and ranchers and the community banks that serve them have a robust set of tools to ensure agriculture’s long-term viability.
“The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567) as a five-year bill will allow community banks to work with their farm, ranch and rural customers to engage in sound business planning activities. This is important considering community banks provide approximately 80% of banking industry loans to our nation’s farmers and ranchers.
“ICBA appreciates enhancements to the commodities title and crop insurance programs that were adopted separately in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to strengthen the farm safety net and to provide producers with risk management tools to mitigate severe weather-related losses and help producers repay production loans. Further, ICBA supports enhancements to the USDA’s guaranteed loan programs, including higher loan limits and prompt loan approvals and other helpful provisions.
“However, policymakers should alter the expansions of the Farm Credit System’s authorities to engage in broad nonfarm financing activities. This is essential to ensure the rural credit market is not tilted away from private-sector tax-paying community banks toward government-sponsored enterprises that are increasingly intent on engaging in nonfarm lending, contrary to their establishment to serve agriculture.
“ICBA strongly supports passage of a farm bill that protects producers, strengthens rural communities, and ensures a fair and balanced agricultural credit system.”
About ICBA
The Independent Community Bankers of America® has one mission: to create and promote an environment where community banks flourish. We power the potential of the nation’s community banks through effective advocacy, education, and innovation.
As local and trusted sources of credit, America’s community banks leverage their relationship-based business model and innovative offerings to channel deposits into the neighborhoods they serve, creating jobs, fostering economic prosperity, and fueling their customers’ financial goals and dreams. For more information, visit ICBA’s website at icba.org.