On Monday, Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, the Democratic chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, unveiled the long-awaited Senate Farm Bill, a sweeping piece of legislation that touches nearly every aspect of the nation’s food and agriculture policy.
The release comes after the expiration of the 2018 Farm Bill extension on Sept. 30, 2023, leaving many programs under the bill vulnerable to lapsing as the year-end deadline approaches. Programs such as crop insurance, commodity support and nutrition assistance are set to expire at the end of the year, heightening the urgency for Congress to take action. It also comes at a key time for millions of Americans, as elevated grocery prices and persistent inflation have exacerbated food insecurity across the country.
While Stabenow’s text prioritizes expanding access to federal nutrition programs like SNAP, the bill’s release also highlights the deepening partisan rift over the Farm Bill’s priorities. Republicans have criticized the legislation as overly focused on food aid at the expense of agricultural producers — and now that they control the House, Senate and White House, it’s unlikely Stabenow’s version of the bill will be passed by year-end, if at all.
Her announcement, however, underscores her commitment to advancing comprehensive food policy reform during her final term in office and could spur some progress on the essential legislation.
“I would encourage my Republican colleagues to join with us to get this done now,” Stabenow said during a floor speech Monday. “I firmly believe that it is the best and probably only path to pass a five-year farm bill this year.”
“An essential step in mitigating hunger”
When the Farm Bill extension expired on Sept. 30, leaders from hunger and food justice organizations nationwide raised alarms about the further delays in federal action that the lapse would likely exacerbate.
“The political gridlock holding up the Farm Bill is a clear sign that our leaders have not been prioritizing the needs of working people who sustain our food and farm system, as well as the long-term needs of our changing climate,” Nichelle Harriott, the policy director of the HEAL Food Alliance, said in an Oct. 1 statement. “Current policies shaping our food system fall short of addressing the systemic barriers BIPOC producers and workers face and enable a handful of powerful corporations to exploit working people and our environment.”
Harriott continued: “Our representatives must replace the destructive status quo with a new Farm Bill that strengthens food access for all families, reins in corporations and delivers disaster relief and other support to BIPOC farmers bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. Meanwhile, HEAL Food Alliance members will continue advancing local solutions and fighting for justice for our communities.”
When Stabenow released her Farm Bill text on Monday, it was largely well-received by organizations that deal with food insecurity, which has been a major concern this year. As food prices remain elevated across the country, a September report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed that nearly 18 million families — 13.5% of U.S. households — struggled to afford enough food. This marks the highest rate of food insecurity in almost a decade, underscoring the growing pressures on American families, especially going into the holiday season.
Crystal FitzSimons, the interim president of the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), characterized Stabenow’s proposals as being “aimed at strengthening benefit adequacy and equitable access for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).”
“Protecting and strengthening SNAP is critical to ensuring that the more than 42 million people who struggle against poverty-related hunger in this country can better afford to put food on the table and get the nutrition they need,” FitzSimons said. “FRAC is pleased the proposed legislation aligns with many of the anti-hunger community's SNAP priorities for the Farm Bill.”
For example, Stabenow’s proposal outlines some major changes to SNAP and related food assistance programs aimed at increasing accessibility and addressing systemic barriers. It would end the lifetime ban on SNAP benefits for individuals with felony drug convictions, exclude income from work and training programs in eligibility calculations and codify measures to simplify benefit retention for older adults by extending recertification intervals to 36 months.
For service members, the proposal ensures the military housing allowance no longer counts against eligibility, while former foster youth would see restrictions eased to combat college hunger. The plan also includes a study to assess the potential for allowing SNAP benefits to cover hot meals, a long-standing limitation of the program.
Additionally, Puerto Rico would have a clear pathway to transition from its block grant program to SNAP, and Tribal communities would gain enhanced control over food assistance programs through permanent expansion of the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations and greater flexibility in food procurement.
These reforms collectively aim to modernize and broaden the reach of federal food support systems.
“SNAP is the first line of defense to address our nation’s deepening hunger crisis,” FitzSimons said. “It supports families and local economies. Each dollar in federally funded SNAP benefits generates between $1.50 and $1.80 in economic activity during a slow economy. Despite its many strengths, the average benefit is only $6 per person per day.”
FitzSimons continued: “We believe the Chairwoman’s bill is an essential step in mitigating hunger by investing in SNAP and protecting the program from cuts. Her bill offers the path for Congress to get a strong, comprehensive Farm Bill done.”
“Unserious, partisan proposal”: Pushback from Republicans
However, Chairwoman Stabenow’s proposed Farm Bill text has already faced sharp criticism from Republican legislators, many of whom argue the bill should put more “farm back in the Farm Bill.” This refrain underscores the growing partisan divide over the legislation’s priorities, with Republicans increasingly pushing for a focus on agriculture and rural development, while Democrats emphasize addressing food insecurity and expanding nutrition assistance programs.
“While Senate Democrats waited until the last minute to take action, I’ve been fighting to put more ‘farm in the Farm Bill’ for well over a year now,” Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said in a statement. “This unserious, partisan proposal is a slap in the face to producers who don’t have the luxury of waiting 415 days to do their jobs, especially given the current struggling agriculture economy. I look forward to working with President Trump to strengthen rural America and pass a farm bill that actually focuses on the folks who feed and fuel our nation.”
In a statement, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, similarly criticized Senate Democrats for what he characterized as unnecessary delay.
“It’s a sad commentary Senate Democrats kept farmers waiting two years before releasing the Farm Bill text,” Grassley said. “The Farm Bill must be worked out in a bipartisan way and negotiated in committee, according to the Senate’s regular order. It’s obvious there isn’t enough time to do that before the year is up. I expect Congress to pass another short-term extension to carry farmers through to the new year. When Congress returns in 2025, Republicans will work quickly to debate and pass the next five-year Farm Bill.”
John Boozman, Arkansas Republican and ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, echoed this point on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“An 11th hour partisan proposal released 415 days after the expiration of the current farm bill is insulting,” he wrote. “America’s farmers deserve better.”
"I think we're ready for an extension"
With Donald Trump returning to the White House and Republicans regaining control of both chambers of Congress, there’s an opening for the GOP to shape the next Farm Bill without making any significant concessions to Democrats. The dynamic is further influenced by the departure of Stabenow, who chose not to seek reelection in 2024.
Her absence, coupled with Republican majorities, could allow conservative lawmakers to advance their priorities more aggressively, as well as reshaping the balance of power in future farm policy negotiations. That means it’s likely the passage of the Farm Bill will be punted yet again into 2025. “The reality is [the Farm Bill] is not going to happen this year and I don’t know if it’s going to happen early next year,” Kip Tom, a farmer and the former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture, told Hoosier Ag. Today.
According to Politico’s Grace Yarrow and Meredith Lee Hill, House Agriculture Committee Chair G.T. Thompson, R-Pa., told reporters last week that farm bill negotiators are going to “be prepared for an extension.”
“We can't go past Dec. 31,” which is when most major ag programs authorized under the bill would lapse, he said. “So I think we're ready for an extension.”
So, the odds of Congress passing a new Farm Bill before year’s end remain slim.
Even if Senate Republicans strike a deal with Senator Debbie Stabenow, any agreement would face hurdles in the House, where ultraconservatives’ long-standing opposition makes passage under suspension of the rules unlikely. Additionally, House Speaker Mike Johnson signaled over the weekend that appropriations decisions might be deferred to early 2025.
For now, according to Politico, lawmakers seem poised to extend the 2018 Farm Bill for another year, likely attaching it to a must-pass spending measure or a continuing resolution. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats may seek to force a vote on Stabenow’s proposal, keeping the possibility of movement alive — if only faintly.
