All 11 Senate Ag Democrats Reject Farm Bill 2.0 Draft Over SNAP Cuts

TL;DR: All 11 Senate Agriculture Committee Democrats, led by Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar, issued a joint statement on June 23, 2026 rejecting the Farm Bill 2.0 discussion draft because it does not address what they call devastating cuts to SNAP and a cost shift to state taxpayers. They said they appreciate bipartisan provisions and remain open to negotiations.

Key takeaway

Senate Ag Democrats unified against the Farm Bill 2.0 draft over SNAP cuts, signaling the nutrition cost shift is the central obstacle to reaching 60 votes.

What happened

All 11 Democrats on the Senate Agriculture Committee signed a joint statement on June 23, 2026 responding to the Senate Republicans' Farm Bill 2.0 discussion draft. The statement was led by Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar.

The Democrats said the bill "does not address" the cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or the shift of costs to state taxpayers that were enacted as part of prior legislation (HR 1). SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is the largest single program in the farm bill by spending and falls under Title IV (Nutrition).

At the same time, the Democrats said they appreciate that bipartisan provisions were included in the draft and that they "stand ready to work with Republicans." The signatories are Klobuchar, Bennet, Smith, Durbin, Booker, Lujan, Warnock, Welch, Fetterman, Schiff, and Slotkin. You can track the chamber-by-chamber progress on our Senate status page.

A separate development reported on June 25, 2026 noted that E15, a higher-ethanol gasoline blend, was excluded from Farm Bill 2.0, adding another unresolved item to the bill's Senate trajectory.

What it means

A unified Democratic front matters because a farm bill needs 60 votes to pass the Senate, and Republicans cannot reach that threshold without some Democratic support. The statement signals that the SNAP cost shift is the central obstacle to a deal. See how the nutrition title compares in our what's new vs. 2018 breakdown.

For affected readers, the dispute centers on Title IV:

• SNAP recipients: Democrats are objecting to cuts and a structure that pushes more program costs onto states, which could affect benefit levels and state administration.
• State budgets: The cost shift, enacted under HR 1, would require states to cover a larger share of SNAP spending.
• Farm-program stakeholders: Commodity, crop-insurance, and conservation provisions may be caught in the broader negotiation, since the farm bill historically passes as a single package linking nutrition and farm titles.

The "open to negotiations" language is significant. Democrats did not call the entire draft unworkable, only the SNAP provisions, leaving room for a narrowed compromise. The funding breakdown shows how large nutrition spending is relative to other titles.

What's next

As of June 25, 2026, the Farm Bill 2.0 remains a discussion draft on the Senate side, meaning further changes are expected before any committee markup or floor action. The next step is likely behind-the-scenes negotiation over the SNAP language Democrats flagged.

Because both parties have signaled willingness to talk, a revised draft addressing the nutrition title is possible, though no timeline has been confirmed. The exclusion of E15 is another item that could surface in negotiations.

Readers can follow markup activity, amendments, and floor scheduling on our timeline and status tracker and contact their senators through our contact Congress page.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Senate Agriculture Committee Democrats reject the Farm Bill 2.0 draft?

All 11 Senate Agriculture Committee Democrats rejected the Farm Bill 2.0 discussion draft on June 23, 2026 because it does not address what they call devastating cuts to SNAP or the shift of program costs to state taxpayers that was enacted under prior legislation. They said they still appreciate the bipartisan provisions included and remain open to working with Republicans on a compromise.

Who signed the Senate Democrats' statement on Farm Bill 2.0?

The joint statement was signed by all 11 Senate Agriculture Committee Democrats and led by Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar. The signatories are Klobuchar, Bennet, Smith, Durbin, Booker, Lujan, Warnock, Welch, Fetterman, Schiff, and Slotkin. The unified front signals that the SNAP cost shift is the central obstacle to reaching the votes needed for Senate passage.

What is SNAP and why is it central to this dispute?

SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, and it is the largest single program in the farm bill by spending. It falls under Title IV (Nutrition). Senate Democrats object to cuts and a structure that shifts more program costs onto state taxpayers, which they say the Farm Bill 2.0 draft fails to address.

Are Senate Democrats willing to negotiate on Farm Bill 2.0?

Yes. Despite rejecting the draft over SNAP, Senate Agriculture Committee Democrats said they appreciate the bipartisan provisions already included and stand ready to work with Republicans. They did not call the entire bill unworkable, only the nutrition provisions, leaving room for a narrowed compromise. No timeline for revised negotiations has been confirmed as of June 25, 2026.

How many votes does the Farm Bill need to pass the Senate?

A farm bill generally needs 60 votes to clear the Senate, which means Republicans cannot pass Farm Bill 2.0 without some Democratic support. The unified statement from all 11 Senate Agriculture Committee Democrats signals that the SNAP cost shift is the main barrier to assembling those votes.

Was E15 included in Farm Bill 2.0?

No. As of June 25, 2026, E15, a higher-ethanol gasoline blend, was excluded from Farm Bill 2.0. This adds another unresolved issue to the bill's Senate trajectory alongside the SNAP dispute. Whether E15 is added back through negotiation or a separate legislative vehicle has not been confirmed.

Sources

• Senate Agriculture Committee Minority , joint statement from all 11 committee Democrats, dated 2026-06-23.
• Agri-Pulse , coverage of E15 and the House bill, dated 2026-06-25.