WASHINGTON, DC – Thursday, June 16th, by a vote of 221 to 204, the U.S. House passed H.R. 7606, the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act, which includes multiple NFU priorities that will provide fairness for farmers and lower prices for consumers.

“Farmers Union members stand firm in their fight against consolidation and corporate monopolies in agriculture, and the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act takes concrete actions to give farmers a leg up,” said NFU President Rob Larew. “Now that the House has taken this important step forward, we encourage the Senate to send this to President Biden swiftly. Further efforts to provide greater market transparency, protections for independent farmers and ranchers, and antitrust enforcement, are also needed, but today’s passage of H.R. 7606 is great progress.”

The Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act includes several provisions supported by NFU, namely the Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act, which gives USDA further authority to investigate consolidation and anti-competitive practices in the highly consolidated meat industry. Additionally, the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act includes measures to expand independent meat processing and promote biofuels’ infrastructure and adoption. These measures will expand opportunities for farmers while driving down costs for consumers.