Farm bill stalls in Senate

The GOP-backed Senate farm bill failed in committee Thursday, throwing up a major hurdle in getting legislation passed before the current legislation expires September 30.

Deeply divided over nutrition aid, the Senate Agriculture Committee voted down the bill 10-11 along party lines. 

However, the legislation could be brought up again in September as committee chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) called for a recess rather than adjournment following the vote. The Senate is now on summer recess until mid-September. According to Politico, Boozman told reporters after the vote, “We’re going to come back in that first week and have another vote on the same bill again.”

SNAP dispute sinks GOP-backed bill

At the center of contention was the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Democrats want Republicans to delay by two years the implementation date for a requirement that states share the cost of providing benefits. Boozman offered a one-year delay.

“I want to be clear: A two-year delay does not have the support of the majority in Congress or of the White House. The offer before you is the best, and it’s the final offer,” Boozman said at the start of the committee meeting.

Boozman also added a provision to the bill allowing for year-round nationwide E15, which has considerable Democrat support.

Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson said he was disappointed the legislation didn’t advance.

“For years, farmers have operated under extensions of the 2018 farm bill while facing rising input costs, volatile markets and continued economic uncertainty,” Nelson said. “Illinois farmers need a modernized, five-year farm bill that reflects today’s challenges. We urge Congress to work toward a bipartisan agreement and advance a farm bill this year that reflects today’s challenges in the farm economy and E15 legislation that expands market opportunities for farmers.”

The current farm bill, which was last updated in 2018, expired in 2023. Congress has approved several extensions.  

Illinois Farm Bureau, Durbin react

Illinois Farm Bureau issued an action request Tuesday calling on members to urge Senate Ag Committee member Dick Durbin (D-Springfield) to support the bill. More than 1,200 members contacted Durbin, who voted against the legislation.

Durbin commented during the meeting that he’s worked on multiple farm bills during his tenure in the House and Senate. He noted since farm and nutrition programs were blended into the bill in the 1960s, it’s been a successful collaboration to get the farm bill passed.

“That winning coalition has paid off ever since. We need it again, and it has to be part of this SNAP conversation. We want to support the farm bill. I certainly do, but I want to make sure that I’m fair to my state and fair to the people who are receiving SNAP benefits who are being disadvantaged,” Durbin said.

Farm groups urge senators back to the table

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall expressed deep disappointment in the failure of the committee to advance a farm bill. He called on senators to return to the negotiating table for the sake of rural communities across America.

“At a time when farmers, ranchers and rural communities across the country are facing multiyear losses, the need for a strong, bipartisan farm bill, one that included the long-awaited year-round E15, has never been greater. We appreciate the efforts of Chairman Boozman and members who supported the bill and urge them not to give up,” Duvall said in a statement.

“An overwhelming majority of Americans recognize that the farm bill is a matter of national security to ensure we continue to have a safe and abundant food supply. In fact, most Americans say they would be more likely to support a member of Congress who votes to reauthorize the farm bill, which makes the current gridlock even more puzzling,” he added.

More than 250 food and agriculture organizations, including Illinois Farm Bureau, urged the Senate Ag Committee to advance a bipartisan farm bill out of committee in a letter Thursday. 

Senators spent more than three hours marking up the 983-page farm bill.

“At the end of the day, I think our states lose, I know our farmers are going to lose, and they don’t have anything to do with this,” Boozman said following the vote.

Senate bill details, House differences

The proposed Agricultural Act of 2026 updates key farm bill programs that have not been revised since Congress last passed a comprehensive farm bill in 2018. 

The Senate bill provides support for farm families, including improved access to credit, expanded investments in specialty crops, increased transparency in fertilizer markets, and enhanced research and conservation programs.

The House passed its version of a farm bill in August, which did not include year-round E15 authorization. However, the House passed a separate bill authorizing the sale of year-round E15.

Both the House and Senate bills build upon last year’s reconciliation bill that invested $66 billion in farm programs and strengthened parts of the farm safety net, but reconciliation rules left major farm bill titles unfinished.

Tammie Sloup, FarmWeekNow

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Tammie Sloup is a general assignment editor for FarmWeek and FarmWeekNow.com. A native of Ottawa, Ill., the Eastern Illinois University alum previously worked as a regional editor for Shaw Media.

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