Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates put the 2024 House Republican farm bill’s increase in direct spending and deficits at $32.973 billion over 2024–2033. Chairman Glenn Thompson said he would rely on the House Budget Committee if CBO did not change its estimate, but the available report of his remark does not show that a formal action overruled or altered CBO’s score.
What CBO estimated for the 2024 farm bill
CBO published its estimate on August 2, 2024, for H.R. 8467, the House Republican Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024. The estimate covered the bill as ordered reported by the House Agriculture Committee on May 23, with subsequent amendments supplied to CBO on July 30. CBO projected the following budgetary effects:
| Measure | CBO estimate | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Increase in direct spending and deficits | $32.973 billion | 2024–2033 |
| Increase in direct spending | $15.384 billion | 2024–2029 |
| Spending subject to appropriation | $23.596 billion | 2024–2033 |
The often-used “$33 billion over budget” shorthand refers to the projected increase in direct spending and deficits, not the separate $23.596 billion in spending subject to appropriation. These are different categories in CBO’s estimate and should not be added together or treated as interchangeable.
What a budget score measures
A CBO score estimates how proposed legislation would affect federal spending or revenues compared with a baseline: a projection of what would happen under current law. It is not a verdict that a bill is legally “over budget.” The Congressional Research Service describes the $33.0 billion increase as occurring over the nine affected fiscal years, FY2025–FY2033. CBO’s table includes FY2024, but it estimated no effect for that year because it assumed the bill would be enacted near the end of the fiscal year.
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The distinction matters when interpreting the headline figure. The score is a projection against a specified current-law path, not a comparison with a free-standing spending limit or a measure of every dollar authorized by the bill.
What “overrule CBO” means—and what is not established
CBO provides estimates to Congress; it does not enforce budget rules. CBO explains: “Cost estimates are advisory only; they can, but need not, be used to enforce budgetary rules or targets. CBO does not enforce budgetary rules; the Budget Committees do.”
That division helps explain the reported dispute. Thompson said he would rely on the House Budget Committee if CBO did not change its estimate. The accessible excerpt reporting the 2024 remark does not provide the full context or identify a specific procedural action. It therefore does not establish that the Budget Committee formally changed CBO’s estimate or overruled it. The reported wording should be understood as Thompson’s political description, not proof that a formal scorekeeping action occurred.
How to read claims about the bill’s costs
When lawmakers describe the cost of a farm bill, several comparisons can be conflated. Keep these distinctions in view:
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- Overall score versus a title-specific claim: A statement about one part of a bill does not, by itself, settle the projected effect of the whole bill.
- Baseline versus spending limit: CBO measures estimated changes against projected current law; a score is not itself an enforcement decision.
- Direct spending versus appropriations: The $32.973 billion direct-spending and deficit projection is separate from the $23.596 billion in spending subject to appropriation.
- Estimating versus enforcement: CBO supplies estimates, while the Budget Committees enforce budgetary rules.
The available sources establish these distinctions and the published estimate, but do not establish that a disagreement over any particular title was resolved through a formal override.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Keep the 2024 dispute separate from the 2026 farm bill
The 2026 Farm, Food, and National Security Act is a later bill, not a continuation of H.R. 8467’s 2024 score. In prepared remarks at a March 3, 2026 markup, Thompson said, “It is irresponsible to move forward a bill that increases mandatory spending with no offsets.” On conservation, he said, “There are no cuts to the conservation title. Anyone saying otherwise is improperly analyzing the CBO score.” Those are Thompson’s claims, not independent findings about the score.
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The House Agriculture Committee describes the 2026 measure as similar to its 2024 namesake, with updates. Its page lists House passage on April 30, 2026, and later statements about its progress in the Senate Agriculture Committee. That account alone does not establish the bill’s final enactment status.
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Sources
- Congressional Budget Office, cost estimate for H.R. 8467.
- Congressional Budget Office, Cost Estimates.
- Congressional Research Service, farm bill budget and scoring discussion.
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