During a recent visit to Washington, D.C., Farm Director KC Sheperd sat down with Congresswoman Stephanie Bice to discuss key legislative priorities and the changing political landscape. The conversation highlighted Bice’s focus on fiscal responsibility, election integrity, and protecting Oklahoma’s agricultural interests.
Bice, who was elected in 2020, described the shift from the Biden administration to the Trump administration as a “complete 180.” She praised the president’s focus on border security and reducing the size of government. “President Trump has come in. I like to use the analogy. He doesn’t want to use a scalpel to trim the fat. He wants to use a sledgehammer to break things apart and then put them back together in a way that makes sense,” Bice explained, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the nation’s growing debt.
Election integrity was another significant topic of discussion. Bice defended the need for voter ID laws, stating, “The only reason that someone would not want to have a secure election is because they want to manipulate the system, or rig the system in some way.” She criticized universal mail-in balloting, citing concerns about signature verification, and advocated for federal measures to ensure election security while respecting state legislative authority.
Protecting Oklahoma’s agricultural land from foreign ownership is a top priority for Bice. “We certainly want to make sure that we don’t see foreign investment into Oklahoma, particularly in farm communities,” she stated. Bice has co-sponsored and filed bills to prohibit foreign entities, particularly the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), from purchasing farmland, citing national and agricultural security concerns. She stressed the importance of state collaboration to vet potential buyers and ensure transparency.
In addition to these issues, Bice discussed her recently filed Paid Family Leave Bill, which she describes as a “conservative approach” that allows small businesses to participate. “The United States is one of only seven developed nations in the world that doesn’t have a paid family leave program,” she noted.
Regarding the Farm Bill, Bice indicated that the House is currently focused on reconciliation, particularly concerning the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). “I think that’s the biggest challenge, frankly, is trying to figure out what we are going to do with SNAP,” she said.
Bice suggested separating SNAP from the Farm Bill and addressing it through reconciliation to facilitate the passage of a comprehensive farm bill later this year. She anticipates a continuing resolution until progress is made on these issues.
