WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD NEWS) — The Farm Bill has reached a critical stage in the Senate, with lawmakers facing just days to advance the legislation before Congress begins its August recess.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman has scheduled a key committee markup for Thursday, where senators will debate the bill, consider amendments and vote on whether to send the legislation to the full Senate.
Boozman said the committee must act this week to keep the Farm Bill moving, noting that bipartisan support will be essential for the bill to become law.
“In the Senate, we have to have 60 votes to pass a Farm Bill, so we must have bipartisan support,” Boozman said. “I look forward to continuing conversations with my colleagues to make sure that we have the support to get this across the finish line, and to the president’s desk to be signed into law."Once approved by the committee, the legislation would advance to the full Senate. If passed there, lawmakers would still need to reconcile differences between the Senate and House versions before sending a final bill to the president.
The Senate proposal includes updates to commodity, dairy, conservation and rural development programs, along with provisions allowing year-round sales of E15. However, Boozman has previously said he would have preferred to address E15 through standalone legislation.
“Vote on it alone, vote on the Farm Bill alone. That’s why we haven’t combined it, out of, again, trying to respect the House, what they had to do,” Boozman previously told reporters.
The Senate version also differs from the House bill in several areas, including revisions to SNAP provisions and language governing year-round E15 sales and small refinery exemptions.
Those differences could become a focal point during the markup. The American Petroleum Institute has criticized the Senate’s E15 language as flawed, while saying it supports nationwide year-round E15 sales if paired with reforms to the small refinery exemption program.
Agriculture organizations are also increasing pressure on lawmakers to complete the legislation.
The National Corn Growers Association is urging Congress to move the Farm Bill across the finish line, arguing that year-round E15 availability would strengthen rural economies, expand markets for corn growers and help keep gasoline prices affordable.
The American Farm Bureau Federation is likewise calling for swift action on the Farm Bill. The organization is also urging the Senate to approve the reconciliation package, which includes approximately $12 billion in additional assistance for farmers.
