WASHINGTON – Today in Washington, Congressman James Comer (R-Ky.) joined hemp industry leaders and farmers to host a press conference focused on the future of the U.S. hemp industry and the need for a responsible, workable regulatory framework. Congressman Comer emphasized that Congress must remain committed to advancing bipartisan solutions in partnership with fellow lawmakers and industry stakeholders, while opposing any actions that would undermine the hemp industry or create additional uncertainty and economic hardship for America’s hemp farmers.

Watch the full press conference here.

On Wednesday, Congressman Comer joined Representative Jim Baird (R-Ind.), House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Representative Tim Moore (R-N.C.), and Representative Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) to introduce the bipartisan Hemp Planting Predictability Act. The bill would grant a two-year extension of the hemp provision included in the FY2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act that restricts the definition of legal hemp. This extension would give Congress additional time to develop and enact comprehensive hemp policy that supports farmers, strengthens the industry, and protects consumers.
  
Below are Congressman Comer’s press conference remarks as prepared.

Good morning. Today, I am proud to join so many leaders, advocates, and supporters of the hemp industry here in Washington, D.C.
 
I want to thank my friend, Jonathan Miller, and the U.S. Hemp Roundtable for convening so many advocates to support hemp farmers and the businesses that cultivate it.
 
This is an issue near and dear to my heart.
 
The hemp industry is facing significant challenges and growing uncertainty, and it is long past time for Congress to provide farmers and business owners with the clarity they need to succeed.
 
This uncertainty is not abstract—it is impacting real people, real jobs, and real communities across the country, particularly in rural America.
 
The hemp industry’s impact on my home state of Kentucky, and nationwide, is substantial.
 
Hemp supports 320,000 American jobs, generates $28.4 billion in market activity, and contributes $1.5 billion in state tax revenue.
 
I am proud to be a long-time supporter of the hemp industry, dating back to my service as Kentucky’s Commissioner of Agriculture. I led the charge to make Kentucky the very first state to legally grow hemp.
 
Today, as it did then, hemp offers farmers the opportunity to diversify, innovate, and remain competitive in an evolving agricultural economy.
 
Hemp is a major crop for our Kentucky farmers, and nearly every farmer I know who grew hemp last year was a former tobacco farmer. So, hemp is doing exactly today what I predicted. It has become an alternative crop to tobacco for Kentucky farmers.
 
Since coming to Congress in 2016, I have worked to ensure the hemp industry receives strong support at the federal level.
 
That work was especially critical during negotiations on the 2018 Farm Bill, which laid the foundation for the industry’s growth over the last few years.
 
I made it a priority to be one of hemp’s strongest advocates during those negotiations.
 
As a result, the 2018 Farm Bill unleashed the industry and supported jobs, small businesses, and entrepreneurs across the country.
 
Now, we must act swiftly to pass legislation that protects jobs, eliminates bad actors, standardizes labeling, and requires third-party testing.
 
These steps are essential to providing certainty for business owners and confidence for consumers.
 
Today, American farmers are facing serious headwinds.
 
The last thing they need is inaction from Washington that puts a growing, multi-billion-dollar industry at risk.
 
That is why I am proud to stand here today in strong support of the hemp industry.
 
I appreciate the leadership of my colleague from Indiana, Congressman Jim Baird, who has introduced the Hemp Planting Predictability Act.
 
I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation, which would give Congress an additional two years to enact comprehensive hemp policy that supports farmers, strengthens the industry, and protects consumers.
 
This is not a partisan issue.
 
I urge both Republicans and Democrats to come together and support this commonsense extension.
 
I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in Congress and industry stakeholders to get this bill to the President’s desk as quickly as possible.
 
Thank you.