Rep. Gabe Vasquez Hosts Agriculture Advisory Board Roundtable, Announces Key Bills on National Agriculture Day

March 18, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, in recognition of National Agriculture Day, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) convened his Agriculture Advisory Group for a roundtable to discuss challenges facing the agriculture community and unveil a bipartisan legislative package aimed at strengthening rural economies and supporting producers.

WATCH: Vasquez’s Agriculture Advisory Board Roundtable

“As we celebrate National Agriculture Day, I am proud to stand with the farmers, ranchers, and farm workers who keep our country fed and our rural communities thriving,” said Vasquez. “The bills I am introducing today reflect our commitment to cutting red tape, promoting conservation, expanding food access for Native communities, and ensuring fair wages and support for farmworkers.”

Vasquez announced the introduction of bipartisan and targeted bills designed to support agricultural producers in New Mexico and across the country:

Ranching Without Red Tape Act (co-led by Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-UT) – Allows ranchers to make minor range improvements, such as fence repairs and water line installations, without unnecessary bureaucratic delays.
Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act (co-led by Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-MT) – Enhances wildlife corridors and promotes conservation efforts on agricultural lands.
Farm Workforce Support Act (co-led by Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-AZ) – Directs a comprehensive study of the H-2A program to assess its impact on farm labor, wages, and housing availability.
Wolf and Livestock Fairness (WOLF) Act (co-led by Reps. Stanton, D-AZ, Schweikert, R-AZ, and Pfluger, R-TX) – Compensates ranchers for 100% of the value of cattle killed by gray wolves and for the decreased herd sizes due to predation. Ranchers are currently only compensated for 75% of the value of their cattle.
Healthy Foods for Native Seniors Act – Expands Tribal self-governance in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program to ensure Native seniors have access to fresh, culturally relevant foods.

Additionally, Vasquez co-led a bipartisan resolution with Reps. Jim Costa (D-CA) and Mark Alford (R-MO) to officially designate March 18, 2025, as National Agriculture Day, recognizing the essential contributions of American farmers and ranchers to food security and the economy.

A broad coalition of agricultural organizations has endorsed these bills, including the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Wildlife Federation, Native Farm Bill Coalition, and the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. You can find more information on the supporting organizations below.

“Working lands provide key habitats for migratory wildlife, including big game like elk, mule deer, and pronghorn,” said Joel Pedersen, President and CEO at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “USDA’s voluntary conservation programs need to work together to support farmers, ranchers, and other producers who create and enhance this habitat. The next Farm Bill is our opportunity to make that happen. The Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act removes unnecessary barriers to support conservation on private land that will improve habitat conditions for big game and other migrating wildlife. The TRCP thanks Congressmen Vasquez and Zinke for their leadership on this bill and urges its inclusion in the Farm Bill.”

“Ranchers and land managers are always on the lookout for opportunities to improve habitat: healthier rangelands are better for both wildlife and livestock,” said Lesli Allison, CEO of the Western Landowners Alliance. “The Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act of 2025 creates opportunities for ranchers to enhance habitat and connectivity while improving their own bottom lines and in turn the strength of rural economies. The methods laid out in this Bill have proven to be highly successful in the pilot program. This bill is a triple win for wildlife, conservation and ranching.”

“Resilient and permeable habitat provides wildlife with the much-needed ability to survive in the face of a changing climate,” said Jesse Deubel, executive director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. “The Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act provides a major contribution by prioritizing wildlife corridors and connectivity on working lands, and assisting landowners in accessing important resources to enhance, maintain and restore wildlife habitat on working lands. We thank Rep. Vasquez for his commitment to and leadership on this critical conservation issue.”

“This commonsense, bipartisan bill will help farmers and ranchers voluntarily help wildlife thrive and endure for future generations,” said Aviva Glaser, senior director for agriculture policy at the National Wildlife Federation. “The Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act will help wildlife that migrate through private fields, pastures, and forests — and the hunters, anglers, birders, and outdoor recreationists that enjoy them. Congress should include this common sense, no-cost proposal in the next Farm Bill and strengthen U.S. Department of Agriculture’s voluntary conservation programs.”

“Working lands are critical to ensuring the connectivity of wildlife habitat and migratory corridors,” said Kaden McArthur, Director of Policy and Government Relations, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “As hunters we rely on healthy, intact habitat in our pursuit of game species – which don’t recognize public or private land in their movement. We applaud Representatives Vasquez and Zinke for their leadership on the Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act which will improve Farm Bill programs to better support these private land conservation efforts.”

Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Chairman Cole Miller and Intertribal Agriculture Council CEO Kari Jo Lawrence, co-chairs of the Native Farm Bill Coalition: “Self-determination contracting – also known as 638 – has consistently proven to be the most cost-effective and efficient approach in administering federally funded programs in Indian Country. The existing 638 pilot programs at USDA have been incredibly successful and have demonstrated that tribes are fully capable of not only providing federal services but improving upon them. The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) is one specific program that Tribes have called on Congress to authorize the use of 638 contracts to ensure that Tribal elders have access to fresh fruits, vegetables and traditional foods that promote their well-being. We look forward to working with Rep. Vasquez to expand 638 to CSFP and encourage Congress to expand 638 across all USDA programs.”

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Links to the one-pagers and bill texts for the following bills:

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Issues:Agriculture