Senate farm bill markup fails 10–11 in committee as Boozman targets September 15 retry

The Senate Agriculture Committee’s markup of the Agricultural Act of 2026 failed to advance on a 10–11 party-line vote on August 7, stalling the Senate farm bill until Chairman John Boozman (R-Ark.) reconvenes the committee. Boozman has targeted September 15 for a second vote on the same package, according to the National Organic Coalition and multiple farm policy outlets.

The bill collapsed over a partisan dispute on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) cost-sharing provisions. Democrats demanded a two-year delay to new state cost-sharing requirements; Republicans offered one year. The absence of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who is recovering from health issues, and Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) left the Republican caucus one vote short. All 10 Republicans present voted in favor; all 11 Democrats voted against.

A full farm bill reauthorization is now three years overdue. The House passed its own version, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act, earlier in 2026. The Senate package includes provisions that matter directly to fertilizer markets, including fertilizer supply and price transparency measures championed by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and incentives for precision agriculture technology adoption through EQIP and CSP.

Boozman recessed rather than adjourned the committee, preserving the option to reconvene without a new markup. “We’re going to vote on it again and see if we can just push this thing over the finish line,” he told reporters. Even if the bill clears committee on a party-line vote in September, it would need 60 votes on the Senate floor — a threshold that remains out of reach without bipartisan agreement on SNAP.

Source: Hoosier Ag Today