Senate Farm Bill Effort Stalls After Thursday Committee Vote

One of agriculture's biggest stories this week came Thursday, when the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry failed to advance the Agricultural Act of 2026 during committee markup.

The vote comes as producers and agricultural organizations continue watching closely for progress on a new five-year farm bill before the current extension expires September 30.

In a statement released by the House Committee on Agriculture, Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson said Senate Republicans made several compromises during negotiations, including year-round E15 language, consideration of dozens of Democratic amendments, and a delay in proposed SNAP cost-sharing requirements for states. He said those efforts still failed to gain enough Democratic support to advance the bill.

Senate Agriculture Committee Democrats, meanwhile, have said they want a more bipartisan farm bill and argue the Republican proposal still falls short in several key areas.

The 2018 Farm Bill remains in effect under its third consecutive extension and is scheduled to expire September 30, leaving producers awaiting the next step in negotiations.