Senate Approves FY2026 USDA Budget
Proposes $96 million for rural broadband grants and loans in FY26.
WASHINGTON, August 6, 2025 – The Senate passed a $27.1 billion agriculture appropriations bill Friday in an 87-9 vote, proposing $96 million for rural broadband grants and loans in fiscal year 2026.
The Senate bill, passed before the chamber adjourned for its August recess, earmarks $40 million for telemedicine and distance learning services; $35 million for U.S. Department of Agriculture's ReConnect program; and $20 million for the Community Connect Grant Program in FY26.
Introduced by Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., on July 10, the bill, titled the Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, establishes the USDA’s discretionary budget for the coming year, and funds the FDA and related rural development programs.
The bill’s $35 million allocation for ReConnect, which provides grants and loans to expand broadband service in rural areas, represents a major cut from the $90 million proposed by the House in June.
Still, it’s more than the Trump administration proposed. The White House sought to eliminate ReConnect funding entirely in FY26, calling the program redundant. The ReConnect program received $52 million in fiscal year 2025.
The Senate Appropriations Committee had previously advanced the discretionary spending bill by a 27-0 vote on July 14.
The House Appropriations Committee introduced its version in June, but it has not yet received a floor vote, leaving final broadband funding levels unresolved until both chambers advance matching legislation after the August recess.
Member discussion