WHAT HAPPENED: The Senate Agriculture Committee failed to advance Chairman John Boozman’s (R-Ark.) farm bill Thursday on a 10-11 vote. Ten Republicans voted yes in person, while 11 Democrats voted no. Two Republicans — Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the latter sidelined by a health issue — voted yes by proxy, and one Democrat, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), voted no by proxy. Under Senate rules, proxy votes can’t be used to pass a bill but can be used against one, so Slotkin’s proxy “no” counted while the two Republican proxy “yeses” didn’t — sinking the bill 10-11.
WHAT’S THE DISPUTE: The core dispute is over how quickly states must absorb a share of SNAP benefit costs tied to payment error rates, a cost-shift originating in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Boozman’s text includes a one-year compliance window; Democrats, led by ranking member Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), pushed for two years, arguing the shorter timeline unfairly penalizes states with smaller error-rate problems.
WHAT’S IN THE BILL FOR CHICKEN: Earlier voice votes had approved an amendment offered by Sen. Jim Justice (R-WV) making hot rotisserie chicken SNAP-eligible.
WHAT’S NOT IN THE BILL: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) spoke in support of three amendments that were never brought to a vote, including one with Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) to codify three finalized Packers and Stockyards Act rulemakings, and one with Booker and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) to create a USDA Office of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters. Booker’s previously floated line-speed amendment was not raised and did not receive a vote.
MCOOL: Only one Republican amendment was offered, from Sen. John Thune (R-SD), that would direct USDA and USTR to propose a World Trade Organization-compliant mandatory Country of Origin beef label. The amendment passed by a 17-6 vote. All 11 Democrats voted “yes” along with GOP Senators Hoeven, Ernst, Hyde-Smith, Grassley, Thune, and Fischer.
NCC’S TAKE: NCC appreciates Sen. Justice’s work to add hot rotisserie chicken to the SNAP program and we will continue to advocate for its inclusion in any version of the Farm Bill that moves forward.
Regarding the PSA and Special Investigator amendments, NCC organized a coalition of the meat and poultry trade associations in Washington, including the Meat Institute, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Producers Council, and National Turkey Federation, and communicated our strong opposition in a letter sent directly to the Committee. We will continue to strongly oppose any efforts to include provisions that would impede the free market or would negatively impact the
way livestock or poultry are contracted or marketed.
WHAT’S NEXT: Boozman held the committee in recess rather than adjourning it, meaning it can be called back into session at any time. The committee is expected to resume the markup after the Senate’s August recess, with the chamber scheduled to return the week of September 7 — though Boozman could call members back sooner if a SNAP deal comes together. Until the error-rate delay dispute is resolved, the bill’s path forward is stalled. The House’s own Farm Bill passed in April still awaits reconciliation with whatever the Senate ultimately passes.
Senate Ag Chair Boozman (R-AR) leads the mark-up of the Farm Bill
