Why it matters:

The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee reconvened Sept. 16 to consider the Agricultural Act of 2026, after an August vote failed to advance it. The clerk recorded 12 ayes and 11 noes on the reporting vote.

The big picture:

The proceeding was a Senate Agriculture Committee business meeting to mark up the proposed Agricultural Act of 2026.

The August markup failed to report the bill by a 10-11 vote. The central dispute involved the implementation timeline for new Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program state cost-sharing requirements.

Republicans proposed a one-year delay, while Democrats sought two years. The committee’s official bill description says economic conditions have changed substantially since the previous farm bill became law in 2018.

What they’re saying:

The session was procedural, not a witness hearing.

  • Sen. Joni Ernst said her amendment was “not a new amendment.”
  • Sen. Cory Booker said Republicans “were in the majority.”
  • Sen. Chuck Grassley said he hoped to offer a “bipartisan amendment.”

Ernst said her first-degree amendment was filed by the Aug. 4 deadline and applied to Title XII. She said Democratic colleagues had requested a two-year delay of the SNAP cost share and that her proposal would preserve Proposition 12 and other state laws.

Booker reserved the right to object to proceedings concerning Ernst’s amendment. He said he might not agree with or vote with Ernst, while also saying Republicans had enough votes to move the bill forward.

Grassley said he had hoped to offer a bipartisan amendment with Booker and Sen. Adam Schiff concerning the Packers and Stockyards Act. He said the proposal would have made delayed regulations permanent legislation.

Political stakes:

The main disagreement involved the proposed timeline for implementing new Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program state cost-sharing requirements. The committee record identifies Sen. John Boozman as chair and Sen. Amy Klobuchar as ranking member.

The other side:

Democrats voted against advancing the farm bill, saying it did not adequately address $186 billion in SNAP funding cuts made by H.R. 1. A separate statement from the Food Research & Action Center said the Senate draft did not mitigate any of the $187 billion in SNAP cuts enacted under the budget reconciliation law.

What’s next:

The bottom line:

The committee moved from recess to a recorded reporting vote, but the ledger leaves the bill’s final committee status unresolved.

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