ANAHEIM, Calif. (DTN) -- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Monday called on Congress to pass legislation to allow for year-round E15.

USDA also on Monday released a proposed rule for adding 30 million base acres to crop commodity programs. USDA will start a year-long process to add base acres to commodity programs for the first time since 2002.

Dairy farmers also now can enroll for enhanced coverage under the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC).

In a speech to roughly 4,500 members of the American Farm Bureau Federation, Rollins touched less on farmers' need for $12 billion under the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program (FBA). The FBA is $12 billion in total, but $11 billion goes to commodity producers and $1 billion is set aside for sugar and specialty crop growers.

The $11 billion in FBA payments will come to commodity farmers by the end of February, "carrying them to the next season while purchasing commitments and new trade deals take effect and input costs come down with (higher) reference prices hitting next fall," Rollins said.

Also in her speech, Rollins recapped policy changes under the Trump administration while continuing to blame farmer losses on the previous administration. She acknowledged the original need for a bridge payment came because of trade disputes with China, though she said the extent of economic losses by crop farmers went much deeper than initially expected. Rollins also called on Congress to pass E15 legislation.

E15 PUSH

Congress needs to pass year-round E15 because the Trump administration "has gone as far as we can regulatorily," Rollins told Farm Bureau members.

"Congress must do its job and pass nationwide, year-round E15 to continue to drive domestic crop demand -- a clear win-win for farmers and consumers," she said.

The secretary said Trump is "the most pro-biofuels leader in history," as she cited one of the president's first executive orders on energy security that identified year-round E15 "as a solution for extending supplies and reducing pump prices." Rollins also pointed to EPA proposing the "highest and most aggressive" renewable volume obligations (RVOs) in history.

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) on Monday called again for year-round E15 legislation while expressing "alarm" over USDA's latest forecast of a 17.02-billion-bushel corn crop and larger ending stocks for the 2025-26 crop.

AFBF President Zippy Duvall also called on Congress to pass year-round E15.

While Rollins frequently criticized California policies in her speech, it should be noted California officials passed E15 into law last October.

BASE ACRES

USDA released a rule in the Federal Register highlighting the process for adding 30 million base acres to the commodity programs. An adviser to Rollins said adding 30 million acres "will be a year-long process" at the Farm Service Agency that will include collecting historic planting information from producers. More information will be provided in midsummer when farmers will visit with FSA and compare their planted acres to base acres. Then the process of enrollment will begin.

NEW RULE FOR ARC/PLC

USDA on Monday posted a new rule for Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage (ARC and PLC) for the 2026 crop year. As part of making the changes, farmers will enroll in ARC or PLC after they have already planted their 2026 spring crop. For the 2026 crop year, all producers with an interest in base acres on a farm, at the time the election is made, must unanimously elect ARC or PLC on each covered commodity having base acres and may enroll each or all those covered commodities, USDA stated. For each of the 2027 through 2031 crop years, the producers with an interest in base acres on a farm, at the time the election is made, are eligible for covered-commodity-by-covered-commodity election of ARC or PLC and subsequent enrollment in each crop year.

DMC ENROLLMENT

Dairy farmers can sign up for enhanced coverage. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) provided dairy operations with the ability to establish a new production history. In addition, the Tier 1 coverage level is increased to a 6-million-pound limit. Enrollment for DMC began on Monday.

POLICY WINS FOR FARMERS

The secretary pushed beyond the current economic challenges by highlighting several positive policy changes for agriculture and rural America in the first year of the Trump administration. Rollins blamed previous Democratic administrations for farmers' financial challenges.

"The last administration, and the one prior to the first time we were in with Trump, basically hollowed out on our land, our factories and our farms," Rollins said.

Rollins highlighted policy wins for farmers in the OBBBA that includes improving commodity programs and crop insurance while also extending and enhancing several tax cuts for farmers.

Reflecting the administration's support for farmers, Rollins noted agriculture was a significant winner in the OBBBA.

"For the first time in history, we had the largest investment at a time when that bill was focused on shrinking government," Rollins said.

The OBBBA cut spending for programs such as Medicaid and food aid, but plussed up spending for agriculture, Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.

Touching on new trade commitments to buy farm products, Rollins said the Trump administration, "delivered more target support, faster relief and is opening up more markets than the last administration managed to do in four years."

She pointed to efforts to lower costs for farmers such as changing the wage rates for H-2A guest workers, saving farm businesses $2 billion a year in wages.

"President Trump is rebuilding the farm economy by focusing on what matters -- lower costs."

PUSH AGAINST FOREIGN COMPANIES

The Trump administration plans to combat anticompetitive behavior -- especially if the potential market distortions are carried out by foreign-owned companies, Rollins said.

"We will determine if any anticompetitive behavior, especially those by foreign-controlled companies, increases the cost of living by Americans, increases your costs of doing business, and we will address those because they are a threat to our food supply and to our national interests," Rollins said.

POTTER VALLEY FARMERS

Rollins also took time in Anaheim to hold a roundtable with a dozen farmers and other stakeholders from Potter Valley in northern California. Rollins has gotten engaged in an effort by the power company PG&E to remove two dams in Potter Valley, an action backed by state officials. But farmers and people who rely on the dams for irrigation and a steady supply of water are trying to fight PG&E's regulatory filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

"We're about to lose our water," said Keely Covello, whose family farms in Potter Valley. Covello said the dams help support water resources for 750,000 people. "If these dams are removed, we will have an existential crisis in our community. This story has been woefully under covered even by our local media."

Rollins has gotten more engaged in these local and state fights by pushing back: She's been arguing about the importance of protecting farms.

"Again, I see this as one of the existential battles of our time, and that is the importance of putting agriculture first and putting our people first and ensuring there is an environment where rural America not only survives -- which rural America has been in survival mode for a long time -- but also thrives," Rollins said.

CHALLENGING PROP 12

California's Proposition 12 was upheld by the Supreme Court, which ruled that Congress could take action to change whether states are allowed to regulate production practices outside their borders. Still, the Trump administration has filed its own lawsuit against California, which Rollins declared had "gone rogue" with its rules overseeing swine production and the selling of pork products.

Rollins said California's law "flies in the face of federal jurisdiction and regulation for food production and safety." She said the administration is standing up against California's law.

"These oppressive actions must not be allowed to continue."

For more, see:

-- "Lawmakers See Opening to Finish Farm Bill, Tackle Labor Shortages in 2026," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "Farm Bureau President Says Bridge Payments Not Enough to Cover Farm Losses," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

Follow him on social platform X @ChrisClaytonDTN

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