The Senate Agriculture Committee rejected the Farm Bill in a 10-11 vote following disagreements over the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The committee recessed until after Labor Day rather than ending work for the year.
National Potato Council CEO and Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) Co-Chair Kam Quarles emphasized that the monthlong recess gives lawmakers crucial time to negotiate alternatives. “SNAP discussions are way above our pay grade,” Quarles told Specialty Crop Grower. “We knew it was going to be a challenge going into this markup. The chairman is trying to keep the momentum up for a farm bill. The good news in all of this is that even though we weren’t able to get a bill out of committee today, they didn’t shut the process down for the year. What they did was they recessed the committee until they return after Labor Day.”
SCFBA released a statement expressing disappointment in the bill’s failure to advance but acknowledging those on the committee who supported the interests of U.S. specialty crop growers. The group stated in a release:
“The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance is grateful to Chairman Boozman for convening today’s markup and for including in his manager’s package an amendment offered by Sen. Schiff to protect the integrity of the definition of specialty crops in USDA programs and services.
“We are also grateful to Sen. Lujan for filing an amendment to make the Specialty Crop Emergency Framework mandatory and Sen. Slotkin for filing an amendment to enhance the Federal Crop Insurance Program for specialty crop producers, which is also supported by the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau.
“We look forward to working with members of the Senate Agriculture Committee to add the Lujan and Slotkin amendments to the farm bill as the legislative process continues. Despite today’s setback, we remain hopeful the Senate can find a bipartisan path forward to pass the Agriculture Act of 2026.”
Prior to the hearing, NPC joined more than 250 agriculture groups calling for the bill’s passage.
“As organizations representing a broad swath of food and agriculture, we urge you to advance the Agricultural Act of 2026 in a bipartisan manner out of the Senate Agriculture Committee,” the letter states.
“The time is now for a full five-year farm bill. American family farms have had to rely on programs and policy that haven’t been updated since 2018, resulting in continued ad hoc support. The President called on Congress to pass a farm bill, and in response, the House has taken action with bipartisan passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, the first time a farm bill has passed the full House since 2018…
“The Agricultural Act of 2026 builds on this momentum and provides a strong foundation of policy and program updates for the Senate Agriculture Committee to consider and further amend in committee markup. This is the furthest we have gotten to a full, modernized farm bill. U.S. food and agriculture, as well as American families who rely upon the food, fiber, and fuel produced from our country’s farmers, ranchers, growers, and producers, deserve a farm bill now.”
Read the full letter here.
As negotiations resume this fall, NPC and the alliance continue to urge Congress to pass a long-term, bipartisan Farm Bill that addresses vital specialty crop priorities.