In the earliest hours of April 30, the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (HR 7567) by a vote of 224-200, and it includes two amendments that will meaningfully benefit the U.S. shrimp industry. Both amendments were offered by Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC), who fought tirelessly to ensure that her proposals on behalf of shrimpers survived a contentious Rules Committee process and the House floor. The Southern Shrimp Alliance welcomes these results and thanks Representative Mace, her staff, and the Members who supported the passage.
“Congresswoman Mace and her staff have literally worked around the clock to ensure the Farm Bill treats U.S. fishermen like ‘farmers of the sea,’” said Blake Price, director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “Her leadership opens critical resources to multigenerational shrimping and fishing families that produce healthy seafood that meet U.S. food safety, labor, and environmental laws. We are extremely grateful for her leadership, persistence, and dedication.”
What Was Adopted
At approximately 1:30 AM, Amendment 29 came to the floor. It writes the new USDA Office of Seafood into law, giving the Office a stable legal foundation independent of future administrations or budget decisions. The Office aims to better integrate America’s fishermen into USDA programs and align seafood policies across agencies. Additionally, it will play an important role in implementing President Trump’s Executive Order 14276, Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness, including the development of the American First Seafood Strategy to promote production, marketing, sale, and export of U.S. fishery and aquaculture products and strengthen domestic processing capacity.
Representative Mace and Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) spoke in support of the provision. Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) then offered extensive supportive remarks on its behalf.
Amendment 30, co-sponsored by Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA), followed. Incorporating provisions from the American Seafood Competitiveness Act (S 4236), it revises definitions and eligibility criteria in the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act and the Agricultural Marketing Act to recognize commercial fishermen and fish processors as farmers, making them eligible for USDA loan, grant, and financial services programs. Loans could be used to acquire permits, vessels, or processing facilities, and operating loans could cover vessel maintenance and operational costs. American shrimpers have not previously qualified for USDA farm loan programs, leaving the U.S. fishermen without access to capital and credit available to farmers and ranchers. The amendment begins to close that gap between America’s food producers.
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What Comes Next
The Farm Bill now moves to the Senate, where the Senate Agriculture Committee is expected to develop its own version. Republicans in the Senate have not introduced their version of the Farm Bill yet. Amendments not adopted in the House bill may still be incorporated in the Senate bill or in conference between the two chambers.
Rep. Mace’s Amendment 30 already has strong Senate support. The language stems from a Senate bill introduced by Senators Angus King (I-ME), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Susan Collins (R-ME). The USDA Office of Seafood, established on April 15 and headed by Director Mike Illenberg, also originated from years of industry and Congressional efforts. Senators from our shrimping states championed this effort, including Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Kennedy (R-LA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Katie Boyd Britt (R-AL), and Jon Ossoff (D-GA). SSA worked in coalition with fishery stakeholders nationwide to secure $500,000 of appropriations to create the position.
“We thank Representatives Mace, Carbajal, Pingree, Chair Thompson, and every Member who supported these amendments,” said Price. “There is more work ahead, and we look forward to working with the Senate to see these provisions to fruition.”