(Valley News Live) — The Senate Agriculture Committee marked up the Farm Bill 2.0 Thursday, but the legislation failed to clear the committee after Senate Democrats voted against it over a dispute about cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The bill, formally known as the Agricultural Act of 2026, includes more than 100 bipartisan provisions aimed at supporting farmers and ranchers, improving the farm safety net, expanding agriculture research and authorizing the year-round sale of E15 fuel.
Hoeven’s take
Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), who sits on the Agriculture Committee, said the bill addresses real challenges facing producers and expressed optimism about finding a path forward.
“Farm Bill 2.0 is focused on supporting family farms and ranches and providing the tools and resources they need to succeed,” Hoeven said. “Given the challenges in farm country, our producers need long-term certainty, and this legislation includes more than 100 bipartisan proposals to address real issues facing U.S. producers.”
The bill includes several Hoeven-authored provisions with direct relevance to the region, including a Fargo-Moorhead Crop Insurance Fix that would protect producers impacted by the Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Project by excluding affected years from Actual Production History calculations. It also includes the PACE Act and BINS Act, both co-authored with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, which would increase Farm Service Agency loan limits and add fertilizer storage infrastructure as eligible facilities under the Farm Storage Facility Loan Program.
Smith’s take
Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) said she was disappointed the committee could not reach agreement, but made clear Democrats drew a line at SNAP.
“It is not possible to pass a Farm Bill that fails to fix the deep cuts to SNAP that are taking food off the table for millions of Americans, including at least 1.5 million children,” Smith said. Democrats offered an amendment to delay a cost shift of SNAP administrative expenses to counties by two years, but it was blocked by Republicans. Without the delay, Smith said Minnesota counties could face up to $140 million in additional costs, likely passed on to property taxpayers.
Smith said she was glad several of her provisions were included in the bill but could not support it in its current form. She credited Ranking Member Klobuchar for her efforts to find a bipartisan solution.
Both senators said they would continue working toward a farm bill that can pass with bipartisan support.
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