America Grows Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill creates a guaranteed, growing funding stream for four key USDA research agencies: the Agricultural Research Service, Economic Research Service, National Agricultural Statistics Service, and National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Money comes directly from the Treasury, bypassing the normal annual spending process.
• From 2027 through 2036, each agency would get a 5% annual increase above the prior year's funding, plus an additional bump to keep up with inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index. This means real funding growth of about 5% per year for a decade.
• After fiscal year 2036, the 5% annual growth ends but funding continues to rise with inflation, locking in the gains from the growth decade and preventing the research budgets from losing purchasing power over time.
• The bill shields this research funding from automatic budget cuts (sequestration) by adding it to the list of exempt programs. It also sidesteps pay-as-you-go budget rules, meaning Congress would not need to find spending cuts or tax increases elsewhere to offset the cost.