The 2026 farm bill working its way through Congress includes an amendment that would allow tobacco farmers to receive more disaster and emergency funds, a move critics say is contrary to public health goals and MAHA’s vow to lower chronic disease rates.

The details: The amendment would make tobacco farmers eligible for aid from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corporation.

Tobacco farmers have been excluded from receiving those funds since the end of the federal tobacco program in 2004.
Tobacco farmers can already benefit from other government subsidies, such as federal crop insurance and emergency relief from Congress during the pandemic.

Why it’s important: The overall impact of the amendment would be relatively small, but it still amounts to subsidizing tobacco.

Tobacco subsidies lower the cost of finished tobacco products, increasing the likelihood young people will try them and lowering the incentive for adults to quit.
If included in the final bill, the amendment would be another win for the tobacco industry in this administration.

Meanwhile: Congress is also considering FY 2027 appropriations bills. A coalition of 89 public health, education, and other advocacy groups sent letters to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees urging them to provide $310 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tobacco prevention and cessation programs.