Senate committee clears Farm Bill 2.0 in key 12-11 vote after McConnell’s return
The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee advanced the Agricultural Act of 2026 — known as Farm Bill 2.0 — in a 12-11 party-line vote on September 16, clearing the panel for the first time since an August 7 markup failed 10-11. Senator Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) return from a health-related absence supplied the deciding Republican vote alongside Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), who was also absent from the earlier attempt.
The Senate package includes fertilizer supply and price transparency measures championed by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), plus Plant Biostimulant Act language that would create a uniform federal definition and registration pathway for biostimulant products, according to the Biological Products Industry Alliance. It also expands incentives for precision agriculture technology adoption through USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Stewardship Program.
The bill still needs 60 votes on the Senate floor, a threshold Republicans cannot reach without Democratic support. The core dispute remains cost-sharing changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which Democrats want delayed two years and Republicans have offered to delay one. The House passed its own version, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act, earlier in 2026; the chambers would need to reconcile differences in conference before a bill reaches the president’s desk.
Source: The Hill
What to know about Farm Bill 2.0
Farm Bill 2.0 is the informal name for the Agricultural Act of 2026, the Senate’s version of the multi-year farm bill that sets policy for crop insurance, conservation programs, trade, and nutrition assistance. 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, according to the National Association of Counties.
The committee’s first attempt to advance the bill failed 10-11 on August 7 because Senators Mitch McConnell and Tommy Tuberville were absent, leaving Republicans one vote short. Both senators returned for the September 16 session, allowing the bill to pass 12-11 along party lines.
The Senate package includes fertilizer supply and price transparency measures championed by Senator Amy Klobuchar, plus Plant Biostimulant Act language that would create a uniform federal definition and registration pathway for biostimulant products, according to the Biological Products Industry Alliance. It also expands incentives for precision agriculture technology adoption through USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Stewardship Program.
Democrats and Republicans disagree over how quickly states must absorb new cost-sharing requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which accounts for roughly 80% of total farm bill spending. Democrats have sought a two-year delay to the change; Republicans have offered one year, according to the National Association of Counties.
The bill moves to the full Senate floor, where it needs 60 votes to overcome a filibuster — a threshold Republicans cannot reach without Democratic support given the party-line committee vote. The Senate is expected to take it up when Congress returns after the November midterm elections, after which any differences with the House-passed version would need to be reconciled in conference.
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