Records reveal Rep. Van Orden skipped 10 key Agriculture hearings as farm bankruptcies surge

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.

Absent from farm crisis hearings

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.

I will never leave our Farmers behind. https://t.co/bBDUJi3BVt

— Derrick Van Orden (@derrickvanorden) December 22, 2024

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.

Heartland Signal’s analysis also found that Van Orden missed Agriculture Committee hearings on the following dates:

• March 6, 2024 – “Testimony from Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Rostin Behnam”
• Sept. 11, 2024 – “Severe Food Distribution Shortages in Tribal and Elderly Communities”
• March 25, 2025 – “Examining the Past and Future of Commodity Markets”
• Dec. 11, 2025 – “CFTC Reauthorization: Stakeholder Perspectives”
• April 16, 2026 – “Testimony from Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Michael S. Selig”
• June 10, 2026 – “Agricultural Perspectives on the Future of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)”

In a statement to Heartland Signal, Grace Kim, Van Orden’s Communications Director, said the Congressman’s busy schedule is to blame for his absences.

“Members routinely face overlapping hearings, markups, votes, constituent meetings, oversight responsibilities, and official engagements,” Kim said.

Kim said Van Orden missed the hearings on April 16, 2026 and March 25, 2025 because of conflicts with the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. She also claims that Van Orden was participating in meetings at the Department of Defense on June 11, 2026. Reasons for missing the other hearings were not provided.

Supporting high costs and foreign wars

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.

“Our farmers understand that we have to level the playing field. And how do you do that? You do that with these tariffs,” Van Orden told NOTUS in February. “In order to get to the long term, you have to get through the short term, and that’s the reason that this money’s going back to people in the agriculture industry.”

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.”

While the administration reduced tariffs on imported agricultural equipment from 25% to 15% earlier this month, the prices of fuel and fertilizer have increased due to Trump’s military conflict in Iran. Van Orden has also continuously supported Trump’s war, and he voted against Concurrent Resolution 86, a bill that would force the removal of U.S. troops from the conflict. Van Orden’s office did not address his support for tariffs or his vote on CR 86 in the statement to Heartland Signal.

“Congressman Van Orden is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL who served our country for 26 years. Iran has effectively been at war with the United States for nearly five decades through terrorist proxies and attacks on Americans. Thousands of Americans have been killed as a result of Iranian-backed terrorism, including friends and fellow service members of Congressman Van Orden,” Kim continued. “The Congressman has been clear: Iran can never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. President Trump has pursued policies intended to make that outcome possible and secure a lasting peace agreement. Frankly, it is disgusting to see Democrats minimize nearly 50 years of Iranian-sponsored terrorism to promote their campaign.”

2026 reelection bid

The former NAVY SEAL has represented Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District since 2023, after defeating Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke during the 2024 general election. 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.”

Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election analysis organization, rates the Wisconsin 3rd Congressional District race as a “Toss Up” as Van Orden seeks his third term in office.