Failure To Advance Farm Bill Is A Missed Opportunity For Drivers, Farmers And Rural Communities

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Following the Senate Agriculture Committee’s failure to advance the Agricultural Act of 2026, Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association Executive Director Brian Werner issued the following statement:

“Today’s outcome on the Senate Farm Bill is a missed opportunity for drivers, farmers, fuel retailers and rural communities that need certainty.

“Year-round E15 is not controversial. Minnesotans want lower-cost fuel choices, stronger markets for farmers and more access to homegrown energy. Delaying action keeps outdated restrictions in place and limits access to a fuel option that overwhelmingly benefits consumers, agriculture and rural communities.

“The Senate Agriculture Committee did not reject year-round E15. They failed to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill over an unrelated disagreement on SNAP. We thank Senators Klobuchar and Smith for their supportive statements and we will continue working with lawmakers to make year-round E15 permanent.”

A recent statewide survey conducted by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association in partnership with Morning Consult found strong support for E15 in Minnesota. The survey found that 68% of Minnesotans support selling E15 year-round, 76% support year-round E15 after learning more, and 80% are concerned about the price of gas at the pump. The survey also found that 56% of likely 2026 midterm voters would be more likely to support an elected official who works to expand access to E15.

Excerpt from U.S. House Committee on Agriculture: Today, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry failed to advance the Agricultural Act of 2026 from committee due to unreasonable Democrat demands. House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) issued the following statement in response.

“On behalf of our nation’s farmers, ranchers, and rural Americans, I am deeply disappointed in the results of today’s farm bill markup in the Senate Agriculture Committee,” Chairman Thompson said. “It is clear that Senate Democrats are not in search of real solutions for farm country. Even the inclusion of year-round E15, dozens of Democrat amendments, and a delay in the SNAP benefit cost share could not entice Senate Democrats to support producers and vote for the farm bill.

“Chairman Boozman and his team went above and beyond to accommodate requests from across the aisle, even including some compromises that we are not fully comfortable with in the House. Despite this, Democrats could not get to a yes.

“The work on a full, five-year farm bill does not end here. I will continue to find practical solutions for American producers that address modern needs, and I hope my colleagues across the aisle will come to their senses and join Chairman Boozman and me in supporting American agriculture.”

Background:

Typically reauthorized every five years, the most recent farm bill, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, is in its third consecutive year under an extension. It will expire on September 30.

The House Committee on Agriculture advanced the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 out of committee on March 5 by a vote of 34-17. The House of Representatives passed the bill on April 30 by a vote of 224-200. READ MORE

Excerpt from Politico: Senate Agriculture Committee Democrats rejected a GOP-led farm bill Thursday in a vote that highlights deep partisan divisions over nutrition aid cuts and leaves Congress without a clear path toward reauthorizing the long-overdue bill.

Chair John Boozman recessed the panel indefinitely after the 10-11 vote, meaning that he can call members back to revisit the bill at any point, including in September after the chamber’s August break.

Democrats stood united against Boozman’s package, sticking to their demand for a two-year delay to Republicans’ requirement that states share the cost of providing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.

“I want us to get to a bipartisan agreement. I think people know that that is how I have operated in this place, and that’s what I want to get done,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), the panel’s ranking member. “But first and foremost, that includes addressing this ridiculous [SNAP] situation.”

Boozman offered a one-year SNAP delay, language to authorize year-round E15 sales and increased funding for a program that distributes food through food banks in hopes of attracting bipartisan support. GOP senators resisted Democrats’ efforts to push for a longer delay.

Republicans needed at least one Democratic vote to advance the bill due to the absence of Sen. Mitch McConnell on Thursday. Boozman accused Democrats of holding SNAP participants “hostage and holding our farmers hostage.”

“I want to be clear: A two-year delay does not have the support of the majority in Congress or of the White House. The offer before you is the best, and it’s the final offer,” Boozman said.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) defended Boozman’s offer during the markup.

“The chairman fought as hard as he could,” said Thune, a longtime Agriculture Committee member. “The proposal in front of us … gives everybody another year to do this and saves some states in this room a whole lot of money.”

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said that “all of us knew before we walked in this room” that the bill would fail due to the SNAP stalemate.

“I want to get the bipartisan stuff done, and we’re not going to get a farm bill. That’s the game here today,” Booker said.

Senators adopted dozens of amendments to the original text, including those that would permanently transfer the Food for Peace program to USDA and make hot rotisserie chicken eligible under SNAP. They rejected several Democratic-led amendments to undo SNAP funding cuts and add other nutrition priorities to the bill along party lines. READ MORE