PORTLAND, Maine (DTN) -- The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced the 2026 farm bill on a 12-11 party-line vote Wednesday after resuming a recessed business meeting and rejecting an effort to reopen the bill for another amendment.

The bill advanced after Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., returned to the committee following an extended absence.

"I do want to say how pleased I was to have Sen. McConnell here today. He made a special effort to really get back this week in order to vote," Senate Agriculture Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., said at the hearing.

The bill includes key farm priorities, including year-round E15, mandatory country-of-origin labeling (MCOOL) and measures to address high input costs, such as the Fertilizer Transparency Act. Those provisions are encompassed in the 34-amendment en bloc package, or manager's amendment, and by a separate amendment, passed by a 16-7 vote in August, in favor of MCOOL.

Coalitions have not changed since August. Farm groups alluded to the progress, as it was one additional step forward. Nutrition advocates did not see Republicans' one-year White House offer as a solution to their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) error-rate concerns with the One Big Beautiful Bill.

One goal is now in mind for all proponent parties: a Senate floor vote, conferencing and the president's desk.

"We appreciate Chairman Boozman's leadership in moving this legislation forward, and we urge lawmakers in the House and Senate to advance a farm bill to President (Donald) Trump's desk," the American Farm Bureau Federation said in a statement.

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., acknowledged the difficult timetable but expressed hope that Congress could complete the bill. "The legislative calendar shrinks with every passing day, which will make it difficult, but not impossible, to get a new farm bill enacted this year, but that will require a good-faith commitment from Senate Democrats to help the farmers, ranchers, and rural communities that rely on it," she said in a statement.

During the business meeting, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said: "My goal and our goal on the Democratic side is to get this farm bill done, and to get it done by the end of the year. We will do that by working with the House leaders. We will do that by working with them on the remaining issues."

All 11 committee Democrats voted against advancing the bill. Democrats sought a two-year delay in the SNAP cost-sharing requirements and rejected the Republican proposal for a one-year delay.

"I can tell you right now that if you don't ... do a one-year delay, it's going to cost you $17 billion," Sen. John Thune, R-N.D., said in the hearing, speaking about the implementation of SNAP error rates.

ARGUING PROCEDURE AND PORK

The less-than-30-minute business meeting didn't completely act as the vote did in 2018, when it favorably reported the 2018 farm bill with overwhelming bipartisan support, 20-1.

Sen. Boozman started with the vote, which passed 12-11, followed by a challenge from Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, over whether Title XII had been closed out, leaving the bill and the last title pending.

Ernst was trying to insert the Save Our Bacon Act, which was intended to nullify state livestock-production mandates such as California's Proposition 12. The first five minutes of the business meeting involved a fiery parliamentary inquiry while Boozman initially ignored her questions, saying, "The clerk will call the roll," as names were being shouted over each other.

Sen. Ernst stood up against Boozman's parliamentary authority as chair but failed in the end.

"Well, I disagree, anyone else?" Boozman said, moving past her fight.

Sen. John Hoeven instead encouraged putting the amendments on the Senate floor. "The place to continue this debate is on the Senate floor," he said, not exclusively talking about the Save Our Bacon Act.

Ernst, who is retiring at the end of the year, has emerged as the National Pork Producers Council's staunchest advocate, and was honored with the "Bringing Home the Bacon" award from NPPC hours before her last attempt to repeal Prop 12 in committee.

Read more on DTN:

"Farmers Make Final Farm Bill Push," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

"Beef Labeling Advances in Senate," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

Watch the Sept. 16 hearing: https://www.congress.gov/…

Jake Zajkowski can be reached at jake.zajkowski@dtn.com

Follow him on social platform X @jzajkow

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