SOUND THE ALARM: Derrick Van Orden Abandoned Wisconsin Farmers

In case you missed it, a recent article from Heartland Signal exposed Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District Rep. Derrick Van Orden’s hypocrisy, highlighting his absence from nearly half of his Agriculture Committee hearings – while he repeatedly claimed that supporting the agricultural industry is one of his highest priorities. And while he boasts about being the first member of the committee from the Badger State, Derrick couldn’t make time to attend the meetings even when he was in Washington. As Wisconsin farmers face increasing economic pressures and record levels of bankruptcy thanks to Trump policies Van Orden supports, his behavior begs the question: What is Derrick’s actual priority? 

Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke has an answer to that question: “Derrick Van Orden is more focused on carrying water for his national party elites than getting results for rural Wisconsin — and we’re left holding the bag. Our families, seniors, and farmers are hurting as Van Orden supports the war of choice in Iran, strips health care from millions of people, and starves our rural hospitals. I’m running for Congress to fight back and deliver the relief working people need.” 

Read an excerpt from the Heartland Signal below, and the full article here.

Records reveal Rep. Van Orden skipped 10 key Agriculture hearings as farm bankruptcies surge, Heartland Signal
Richard Eberwein, 6/16/26

U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) has frequently told his constituents that supporting the agricultural industry is one of his highest priorities, even going so far as to call agriculture his “true love.” But an investigation into House Committee on Agriculture attendance records reveals he’s missed several committee events since 2024, showing a disconnect between the congressman’s devotion to the farming industry and his actual performance in Washington.

Since March 2024, Van Orden has failed to show up for at least 10 of the 22 separate Agriculture Committee and subcommittee hearings he was expected to attend during that time. Congressional voting records and committee videos show that in several instances, Van Orden was physically present in Washington, D.C. on the day of the hearings — he just didn’t attend them.

The congressman’s ongoing absences come at a catastrophic time for Wisconsin agricultural producers. According to data previously reported by Heartland Signal, Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies in the state skyrocketed from just two filings in 2024 to 16 in 2025 — a 700% increase as farm operations succumb to tightening margins. Chapter 12 is a specialized bankruptcy reserved for family farmers.

[…]

Van Orden, who represents Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, has repeatedly boasted about his committee assignment, noting he is the first member from the Badger State to serve on the panel in more than a decade.

Yet, the hearings Van Orden skipped directly touched on the economic pressures driving local farms out of business:

• “Financial Conditions in Farm Country” (July 23, 2024): Van Orden skipped a morning hearing detailing the collapse of the farm safety net. While he bypassed the 10 a.m. agriculture meeting, C-SPAN footage shows he attended a Transportation subcommittee hearing in Washington later that afternoon at 2 p.m.
• “The Economic Crisis in Farm Country” (Feb. 11, 2025): Van Orden skipped a full committee hearing called to address falling commodity prices and soaring input costs. During the hearing, Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-PA) warned that farm families were facing the bleakest five-year financial outlook in more than four decades. Roll call records show Van Orden was in Washington that day to cast other House floor votes.
• “The State of the Livestock Industry” (March 4, 2025): Van Orden missed a subcommittee hearing where agricultural leaders testified about massive financial losses in the pork industry and an avian flu epidemic causing a national egg supply crisis. While he did not cast floor votes that day, FEC records show he billed his campaign $297.68 for travel expenses and he voted in Washington the following morning.
• “The Specialty Crop Industry” (Sept. 16, 2025): Van Orden was a no-show for a hearing examining specialty crops, which include cranberries. Wisconsin is the largest producer of cranberries in the U.S. Voting records again place Van Orden in D.C. during the hearing.

[…]

While Van Orden periodically has been absent from the committee room where farm relief is crafted, he has supported policies that economic experts say is actively making the farm industry’s financial crisis worse.

Despite broad opposition from economists, Van Orden has been a defender of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff policies.

[…]

Earlier that month, a bipartisan group of agricultural economists sent a letter to the leaders in the House and Senate Agriculture Committees warning that the administration’s tariff policies are significantly damaging America’s farm economy.

“By placing tariffs on farm inputs — from fertilizer, to farm chemicals, to machinery parts– the Administration’s tariffs have increased prices for farm inputs and have pushed the cost of production well above commodity prices,” the letter says. “While we applaud the recent decision to exempt fertilizer imports from tariffs, we question why the government was ever placing tariffs on fertilizer and ask why the Administration has not moved to remove tariffs on all farm inputs. It makes no sense to drive up farm input costs, taking money out of the pockets of America’s farmers.”

[…]

Cooke is challenging Van Orden again in 2026, and will likely be his opponent for the second consecutive cycle.

“Derrick Van Orden is more focused on carrying water for his national party elites than getting results for rural Wisconsin — and we’re left holding the bag,” Cooke told Heartland Signal. “Our families, seniors, and farmers are hurting as Van Orden supports the war of choice in Iran, strips health care from millions of people, and starves our rural hospitals. I’m running for Congress to fight back and deliver the relief working people need.”

###