While the Senate is expected to remain in session at least through the end of this week, a full vote on the farm bill is unlikely before the upcoming recess. Although the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced the Agricultural Act of 2026 on September 16, 2026, Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) and other lawmakers like Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) stated that there is not enough time on the calendar to put the package on the floor before breaking for the November midterm elections. There was hope that the Senate would take up the bill before the recess to expedite finalizing the legislation this year.
Partisan disagreement on the bill centers on nutrition provisions, specifically Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) cost-sharing rules requiring states to cover a portion of funding if their payment error rates cross a specific threshold. Committee Democrats rejected an offer from the Chairman, which was supported by the Trump administration, to extend state compliance with the cost-sharing rules for one year.
Lawmakers and staff plan to informally negotiate differences between the Senate and House bills during the recess, aiming to consider a compromise package or attach it to year-end legislation during the post-election lame-duck session. However, the outcome of the midterm elections will likely impact which bills are taken up in the lame-duck session.