Ag News
Senate farm bill stuck in Ag Committee
Posted on Aug 19, 2026 at 14:36 PM
On Aug. 6, the Senate Agriculture Committee failed to advance the Agricultural Act of 2026, referred to as Farm Bill 2.0, in a 10-11 vote along party lines. Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-Arkansas) plans to revisit the bill in September, according to published reports.
“We are deeply disappointed that senators failed to advance a farm bill today,” said American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall. “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.”
Boozman also expressed frustration that the bill didn’t get to the Senate floor.
“I’m deeply disappointed by this outcome. We have a responsibility to stand with America’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities. Everyone recognizes the serious challenges they continue to face, and blocking the farm bill only adds to the uncertainty and hardship,” Boozman said.
Notably, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) was absent and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) missed the final vote. McConnell has been dealing with health issues. Tuberville was present for part of the markup meeting but left before the final vote.
Georgia Democrat Raphael Warnock voted against the bill, saying the bill did not go far enough to mitigate cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enacted in 2025.
AFBF, joined by more than 250 agricultural organizations across the country wrote to committee leadership urging them to advance the bill. Georgia Farm Bureau was among the organizations to sign onto the letter.
“The Agricultural Act of 2026 … provides a strong foundation of policy and program updates for the Senate Agriculture Committee to consider and further amend in committee markup,” the letter state. “This is the furthest we have gotten to a full, modernized farm bill. U.S. food and agriculture, as well as American families who rely upon the food, fiber, and fuel produced from our country’s farmers, ranchers, growers, and producers, deserve a farm bill now. We urge you to advance the Agricultural Act of 2026 in a bipartisan manner out of the Senate Agriculture Committee.”
To read the full letter, click here.
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