Rep. Glenn Thompson said much of the Farm Bill was included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The first member of Congress from Pennsylvania to serve on the House Agriculture Committee, Thompson said he is pleased that 80% of the Farm Bill made it into H.R. 1, better known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that was signed into law on July 4.

Despite concerns of lingering inflation from the administration and a great growing season across the nation that resulted in higher yields, flat demand caused prices to decrease. Thompson said the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s addition of $65 billion to farm programs are beneficial to the entire country and in particular to the constituents of the 18 counties in which he serves. He also touted making 98% of family farms exempt from the “death tax” and a permanent increase in the Child Tax Credit, which he feels may change the direction of the decreasing family size as well as nutrition provisions.

“The farm bill is important to every citizen,” Thompson said.

Thompson condemned the war in Ukraine and offered support to the Ukrainian people, saying he feels small steps toward progress in ending the war have been made.

“I’m really proud of the Ukrainian people. This was a war that was, according to Vladimir Putin, supposed to last only 48 hours and now it’s been years. I’m also supportive of president Trump’s philosophy of ‘no wars’ and his insistence that this has to change, it has to end.”

Warren residents have helped by supporting the Kocham Debniki Foundation, including help from the Ukraine Relief Initiative, HCC, WARRN, Sokolski Family Foundation, Luminescence, Plebeian Helpers, and many other non governmental organizations and individuals. The Warren Area Refugee Resettlement Network (WARRN) has helped Ukrainian refugees to find a soft landing place in Warren, with some refugees remaining in the community and others moving elsewhere in the country.

Thompson said he wants to see the war end without Vladimir Putin being rewarded with additional Russian territory.

“When I look at it I think Vladimir Putin is a war criminal and you don’t reward bad behavior so there may wind up being negotiations to end this. The most important thing would be to end the war. I would be disappointed if Ukraine would have to give up some of its sovereign territory to do that. But that may be necessary to stop the death.” said Thompson.

Of the changing of the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War in light of the president’s “no war” philosophy, Thompson says he feels there’s a “disconnect.” Trump has spent weeks talking up renaming the Defense Department, saying that, back when the U.S. had a War Department, it “just sounded better.” The War Department was created by George Washington in 1789, but abolished as part of the National Security Act of 1947, which created the National Military Establishment instead. Two years later, Congress amended that and changed the name to the Department of Defense. Trump recently sought to change the name himself via an executive order. Lawmakers will still need to approve making that permanent and official, however.

“I think it’s messaging. I think it sends a message that if you’re going to endanger American lives and American interests that there’s going to be consequences.”

Trump and Vice President JD Vance have assailed military engagements abroad as wasteful, though Trump has, in his second presidency, bombed Iran, backed shipments of weapons to Israel and approved a strike on a Venezuelan boat.

“I think it was happening obviously. I think under the Department of Defense we did good work,” Thompson said. “Part of it is just President Trump, he likes to put his own brand on everything. It’s like (Trump thinks), ‘OK, let’s give this a try and maybe if we’re the Department of War, what I’m hoping for is bullies, drug thugs, terrorists, maybe they’ll be a little more fearful of our country by going back to the original name. At least that’s my hope.”

In regards to how he feels the president doing this time around Thompson said “Pretty amazing actually but I think he had an advantage. He had two things that he did that prepared him like no other president. Number one he had a dress rehearsal for four years. He came in not knowing government, went through the process of who to put where and how to get things done. And then he created this organization called the American First Policy Institute where they planned for when he would get back in. Talk about confidence. I think that gave him an advantage even before he was inaugurated.”

Thompson is proud of the progress being made for the people he serves, saying “There have been a tremendous amount of wins that we have delivered just this year for Warren County.It’s really an honor and a privilege to stand shoulder to shoulder with the citizens of Warren.To work hard for what is needed. I always tell people I only make one promise. I’ll do my best.”