After finding common ground on ethanol and beef labeling, the Senate Ag Committee failed to advance the farm bill, largely on concerns about SNAP benefits.
Committee members agreed on a number of fronts, including expanded ethanol blends. The committee also overcame the opposition of Chair John Boozman to include mandatory country of origin labeling in the package.
However, with Sen. Mitch McConnell absent, Republicans did not have enough votes while no Democrats voted in favor of the package because of their concerns about nutrition programs.
E15 in particular was a bright spot during the three hour Senate Ag Committee hearing, with broad bipartisan support.
“Thanks to the efforts of Sen. Fischer,” Boozman said.
Sen. Deb Fischer was praised for her decade-long efforts to support higher ethanol blends and she was joined by Democrats like Sen. Amy Klobuchar who also favor biofuels.
“I can’t tell you how important this is,” said Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat.
Republicans say the goal is to put more farm in the farm bill and increasing markets for corn is part of that.
The farm bill has long been seen as bipartisan legislation – a marriage of rural and urban as it also funds nutrition programs.
The so-called big beautiful bill cut hundreds of billions from SNAP as Democrats like Klobuchar push for a one-year delay in a provision that could require states to pay more.
Boozman said the SNAP provisions included in the package were “the best, final offer” and would not budge while Democrats also drew a line in the sand over the issue.
It appeared the farm bill would pass, however McConnell cast votes by proxy and was not present to vote when all amendments had been considered, meaning the bill fell a vote short.
Fischer aimed her criticism across the aisle.
“It is disgraceful Democrats refused to advance the bipartisan Farm Bill out of committee. First, Senate Democrats refused to stand up for our service members by not moving the bipartisan NDAA. Now, they’re turning their backs on farmers, ranchers, and rural America. We worked with them to secure bipartisan support for E15 and offered a compromise on SNAP cost share concerns,” she said in a statement.
Klobuchar, the minority leader on the committee said she remains committed to year-round E15 but needs concessions on SNAP.
“Amid tariff-related rising grocery prices in states across the country where SNAP has been critical, this is only a one-year fix. It still advantages high error rate states over states with mid-level error rates. A state with an error rate twice that of Minnesota will pay nothing in the second year, whereas states that have reduced their error rates will still be disadvantaged over high error rate states. Our members are simply asking for the two-year delay so all states will be on the same footing in working to reduce their error rates. That is ten percent of the total SNAP cuts,” she said.
Chairman Boozman recessed the committee instead of adjourning. That allows the bill could be brought back before the committee for consideration at a future date.
Some senators suggested the bill may be stuck in limbo until after the November general election.