Committee sends farm bill to Senate floor with 12-11 party-line vote

The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced the farm bill to the Senate floor, passing the legislation by a 12-11 vote on Sept. 16.

An August attempt to pass the bill stalled because of Democratic opposition to cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the absences of Republican Sens. Tommy Turbeville (Ala.) and Mitch McConnell (Ky.)

A farm bill draft (.pdf) released in June includes a framework for specialty crop payment assistance in case of defined “adverse events” and calls for an annual report on the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crop exports, the establishment of a competitive research extension grant program, and the creation of a Specialty Crops Coordinator.

American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall applauded the bill’s committee passage.

“It’s been almost a decade since Congress last passed a farm bill,” Duvall said in a statement. “In the past 10 years, more than 200,000 family farms have gone out of business, as farmers grappled with a pandemic, global unrest, rising expenses and falling prices paid for the food they grow. A new, modernized farm bill will help give farmers the tools they need to survive continued and unforeseen challenges ahead.”

Reports that a second committee vote would happen soon surfaced last week, with committee chair John Boozman telling Politico on Sept. 10 that he planned to hold another committee vote.

McConnell, 84, who was not seen in public for around 75 days and was absent from Congress for three months, returned to the Senate Sept. 14 after recovering from a hospitalization.

After the August committeee vote, Boozman recessed the markup before the Senate’s summer recess, enabling him to recall the committee without restarting the full amendment and debate process.

National Association of State Departments of Agriculture CEO Ted McKinney cited rising input costs, weather-related losses and trade challenges as pressures facing U.S. growers in a statement praising the legislation’s committee passage.
 
“NASDA members remain united on the same goal: We must enact a bipartisan farm bill to strengthen American agriculture and support production of food, fiber and fuel for all,” McKinney said in a statement.

The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, co-chaired by National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles, Cathy Burns, International Fresh Produce Association CEO, Mike Joyner, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association president, and Dave Puglia, Western Growers president and CEO, also welcomed the news.

“We continue to call upon Congress to enact a bipartisan farm bill before the end of this year,” SCFBA said in a statement. 

The U.S. House passed a version of the legislation in April, marking the farthest a farm bill has made it in Congress since the most recent reauthorization was signed into law in 2018.

The full Senate, scheduled to remain in season into early October, is now expected to consider the bill, but it’s unclear when that might happen.

Jim Bair, U.S. Apple Association president & CEO, also urged passage of the farm bill.

“Passing a bipartisan, five-year farm bill this year is crucial for America’s apple growers, and today’s action by Chairman Boozman and the Senate Agriculture Committee is encouraging progress toward that goal,” Bair said in a statment.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the vote result and industry comment.