Congressman Tom Cole voted in favor of a federal spending bill that funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration and other agriculture-related programs for Fiscal Year 2027.
Cole said the legislation supports farmers, ranchers and rural communities through investments in agricultural research, food safety programs and rural development initiatives.
“As the representative for over 13,000 farms and ranches in Oklahoma’s Fourth District alone, I know this to be true: when American agriculture is strong, America is strong,” Cole said.
The bill includes several provisions that could benefit Oklahoma, including funding for watershed and flood prevention projects, agricultural research and food assistance programs.
Among the funding highlighted by Cole is $35 million for the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Operations Program, which supports flood control efforts in Oklahoma, and more than $1.5 billion for agricultural research and education programs that benefit land-grant institutions such as Oklahoma State University and Langston University.
The legislation also includes increased funding for the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, which serves more than 20,000 tribal citizens in Oklahoma, and funding aimed at addressing veterinarian shortages in rural communities.
Cole said the bill also strengthens oversight of foreign purchases of agricultural land and invests in rural infrastructure, broadband expansion and homeownership programs.
The measure now advances as part of the congressional appropriations process for Fiscal Year 2027.
