Members of Congress were to vote this week on whether to pass House Speaker Mike Johnson’s continuing resolution to fund the federal government and provide aid to American farmers.

The year-end funding bill would keep the federal government in business through March 14, and includes a one-year extension of the Farm Bill and $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers to offset low prices and high input costs.

American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall asked Congress to pass the bill.

“The high cost of supplies, low commodity prices and out-of-reach interest rates are a recipe for farm failures without help,” Duvall said in a press release.

Nearly 10,000 Farm Bureau members reached out to lawmakers to encourage them not to leave agriculture behind as they considered a continuing resolution, Duvall said.

“There is no doubt in my mind that for many farmers, the critical funding in this bill could make the difference between planting a crop next year and giving up,” he said.

The National Association of Wheat Growers also urged Congress to pass the legislative package.

“As president, I have traveled to state producer annual meetings in Texas, Montana and Minnesota in recent weeks,” NAWG president Keeff Felty said in a press release. “At every conference, I talked to experienced producers facing the realities of this downturn in the ag economy, and they feared they would not be able to secure operating credit in 2025 without some form of economic assistance. This legislation provides farmers with a bridge heading into next year. However, it is imperative that when lawmakers return for a busy 2025, enacting a robust, long-term farm bill remains a top priority.”

Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, Republican chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, told the Associated Press he was hoping for more economic relief for farmers, but “it’s a great start.”

“I think it’s going to send the right signal to the markets that most farmers and ranchers are going to be able to get eligible for the credit they need to borrow in order to plant a crop or raise a herd,” Thompson said, the AP reported.

National Farmers Union president Rob Larew said farmers are counting on congressional leaders to finalize the deal.

“Family farmers and ranchers cannot afford any more delays, and frankly, neither can the rest of the country,” Larew said in a statement. “Congress must see this deal through. Farmers don’t get to walk away from their obligations; Congress shouldn’t either. I urge Farmers Union members to stay vocal and keep the pressure on their elected representatives to get this done.”

The Farm Bureau’s Duvall urged Congress to pass the legislation and return in January ready to tackle the challenges facing agriculture.

“Another one-year extension of the Farm Bill addresses immediate needs, but only a new, modernized farm bill will bring certainty for America’s families, farmers, ranchers and rural communities,” he said.