Senate Agriculture Panel Advances Farm Bill on 12-11 Party-Line Vote
The Senate Agriculture Committee reconvened Sept. 16 and advanced the Agricultural Act of 2026, or Farm Bill 2.0, on a 12-11 party-line vote. The clerk recorded 12 ayes and 11 noes after an August markup failed 10-11. The House had passed its version 34-17 in April with seven Democrats. The bill now moves toward full-Senate action and a conference committee. The core dispute was SNAP state cost-sharing timing: Republicans backed a one-year delay, Democrats two years. Democrats voted no, saying the bill did not address $186 billion in H.R. 1 SNAP cuts; the Food Research & Action Center cited $187 billion and said the draft mitigated none. Sen. Joni Ernst called her amendment "not a new amendment." Sen. Cory Booker reserved the right to object and said Republicans "were in the majority." Sen. Chuck Grassley said he hoped to offer a "bipartisan amendment" with Booker and Sen. Adam Schiff on the Packers and Stockyards Act. The measure reauthorizes the Dairy Indemnity Payment Program through 2031, makes Dairy Forward Pricing permanent, increases Dairy Business Innovation funding, codifies dairy processing-cost reporting, and allows year-round E15. A large fiscal share was already in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. NCGA President Jed Bower said diesel prices are "truly almost unbelievable" and that E15 "is going to help with gas prices for not only farmers, but consumers." Farm groups urged a final bipartisan deal. Conference members are next.