Fresno Democrat wants leadership role to protect food assistance in farm bill | Opinion

Jockeying has begun in Washington as the nation’s leaders prepare for a second Trump administration and a Republican-controlled Congress.

Congressmember Jim Costa, D-Fresno, the dean of the Central Valley’s congressional delegation, is encouraging fellow Democrats to support him as ranking member of the House Committee on Agriculture — a leadership position we believe he deserves.

“Throughout my career, I have spent a lifetime cultivating relationships with farmers and hunger advocates, and I bring the firsthand knowledge of what it takes to put food on the table each day,” Costa wrote in a Nov. 20 letter to Democrats. “I have a track record of working with traditional agriculture, while also pushing more progressive policies to better position and protect our food systems for the future.”

Costa and Minnesota Rep. Angie Craft are challenging Georgia Rep. David Scott for the ranking member post. That position will be critical as Congress wrestles with an overdue extension of a Farm Bill that expired in 2023. That omnibus, multi-year law hammered out by the Senate and House agriculture committees governs an array of agricultural and food programs.

One of those programs is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food assistance to millions of eligible, low-income individuals and families. Republicans want to reduce funding for SNAP, which accounts for about 77% of the $867 billion earmarked for the current farm bill.

“I always say that food is a national security issue,” Costa told The Fresno Bee Editorial Board this week. “The Farm Bill ... is a safety net for almost 47 million Americans who are food insecure.”

If he follows through on Project 2025, Trump will slash SNAP, cut essential safety nets, eliminate science-based research, end marketing orders and freeze American farmers from access to foreign markets, Costa said. Plus, he said, Trump’s deportation plan will cut into agriculture’s labor force.

Costa wants to fight to keep SNAP funding in the Farm Bill. In his district, almost 28% of residents benefit from SNAP. That usage ranks among the top six districts in the country, and switches between first or second in California. That, Costa said, “is an interesting dichotomy.”

“You have all this agricultural productivity and diversity of almost 300 crops (in the district) that are healthy, nutritious food that goes to America’s dinner table, but yet, at the same time, I represent a constituency that is food insecure,” he said.

Throughout the nation, the Farm Bill impacts many Americans.

“For a lot of our kids ... it’s the best meal that they get during the day,” Costa said. “So the (reauthorization of the) Farm Bill is ... a safety net for American farmers, ranchers, dairy men and women, and, correspondingly for the campesinos, for the farm workers who are part of that partnership that help put food on America’s dinner table every night.”

Costa gets support from Hispanic caucus

On Wednesday, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, of which Costa is a member, endorsed his bid, calling him “a skilled negotiator and proven leader.”

“Rep. Costa has helped draft three Farm Bills, advanced policies to fight hunger and supported rural communities while promoting farmland conservation,” the caucus said. “His consistently gives a voice to those too often overlooked, including Hispanic families who are essential to American agricultural success.”

Costa also has the support of the California Association of Food Banks and the California Environmental Voters. Prior to joining Congress, he worked on ag and water issues while in the state Legislature.

Congress has until Dec. 20 to craft a Farm Bill extension that would last through at least March 2025 to give the new Congress time to negotiate a new bill. An extension, Costa said, would include funding for disaster assistance programs for farmers.

Costa’s 20 years on the agriculture committee and his knowledge of the industry (he still farms) make him the best-qualified Democrat for the job.