Senate Agriculture Panel Advances Farm Bill on 12-11 Party-Line Vote

The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced the Agricultural Act of 2026, or Farm Bill 2.0, on a 12-11 party-line vote, sending it toward full-Senate consideration and eventual reconciliation with the House bill passed in April. The legislation addresses priorities for dairy and corn growers, including stronger dairy safety-net programs, expanded support for dairy innovation, year-round E15 sales, and other measures intended to help producers facing high input, fuel and market costs. A central dispute was the timeline for requiring states to share costs for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, with Republicans supporting a one-year delay and Democrats seeking two years. The Senate measure did not resolve California’s Proposition 12 livestock-confinement rules, leaving that issue for negotiations with the House, whose bill would limit states’ ability to impose production standards on livestock raised elsewhere. Farm groups are urging Congress to move quickly and reach a bipartisan agreement after farmers operated for years under an outdated farm bill.