Boozman: E15 and Prop 12 repeal lack Senate votes for Farm Bill

TL;DR: Senate Agriculture Committee chair John Boozman (R-AR) stated on May 23, 2026 that two high-profile provisions, year-round E15 ethanol sales and a repeal of California's Proposition 12 pork-confinement law, do not have the 60 votes needed to survive a Senate floor vote and are unlikely to be included in H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.

Key takeaway

Senate Ag chair Boozman said as of May 23, 2026 that E15 year-round sales and a Prop 12 repeal both lack the Senate votes required to survive a floor challenge and will likely be dropped from the 2026 Farm Bill.

What happened

Senator John Boozman (R-AR), chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, told reporters on May 23, 2026 that provisions to allow year-round E15 ethanol blends and to nullify California's Proposition 12 farm animal confinement standards do not have sufficient Senate support to be included in the chamber's version of the farm bill. His remarks signal that neither provision is expected to clear the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a potential procedural challenge on the Senate floor.

E15, a gasoline blend containing 15 percent ethanol (compared with the standard 10 percent blend), is currently restricted from summer sale in most states under Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) volatility rules. Farm groups and corn-state senators have pushed for a federal fix that would remove those seasonal restrictions. Proposition 12, enacted by California voters in 2018, sets minimum space requirements for pigs, calves, and hens sold in the state and has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Pork producers in states such as Iowa and North Carolina have argued the rule raises costs for the entire industry, not just California farms.

Boozman's comments were made in a hallway exchange with reporters and have not been accompanied by a formal committee statement. The Senate Agriculture Committee has not yet scheduled a markup of its farm bill draft as of May 23, 2026. You can track the committee's progress on the /senate-status/ page.

What it means

Both provisions had vocal supporters but also significant opposition, and Boozman's assessment reflects the Senate's narrower margins compared with the House, where the Farm, Food, and National Security Act passed the full chamber. The 60-vote threshold for cloture in the Senate creates a high bar for any politically contested amendment, particularly those that touch state regulatory authority and environmental rules.

For the ethanol industry, dropping E15 from the farm bill would mean returning to a standalone legislative push or relying on EPA regulatory action for a permanent year-round waiver. Corn growers and biofuel producers have treated a farm bill rider as the most direct legislative path to resolving the seasonal sales ban. For the full picture of what provisions were included or excluded from the House bill, see the /whats-missing/ page.

For pork producers, losing a Prop 12 repeal vehicle means the industry remains subject to California's confinement rules, which have already reshaped supply chains in several major hog-producing states. Trade associations representing pork processors had argued the provision was essential for national market uniformity. Consumer and animal welfare groups, along with California's congressional delegation, opposed any federal override of the state law.

The committee chair's comments do not formally close the door on either provision. Senators could still attempt to attach either item as a floor amendment, but Boozman's vote-count assessment makes passage unlikely under current conditions.

What's next

The Senate Agriculture Committee is expected to release a draft bill and schedule a markup in summer 2026, though no date has been confirmed as of May 23, 2026. Boozman has indicated the committee is prioritizing commodity title programs, nutrition spending, and conservation funding in its draft. You can follow scheduled milestones on the /timeline-and-status/ page.

Supporters of E15 and Prop 12 repeal are likely to continue lobbying for inclusion or to seek alternative legislative vehicles. The E15 issue could resurface as a standalone bill or as an EPA rulemaking request. The Prop 12 debate may continue through state-level litigation or additional federal court challenges, though the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling left limited legal avenues open.

A conference between House and Senate versions of the farm bill will be required before any final bill reaches President Trump's desk. Provisions dropped in the Senate draft could theoretically be reintroduced at the conference stage, though that path is also uncertain. For context on how the Senate bill compares with what the House passed, visit the /whats-new-vs-2018/ page.

Frequently asked questions

What is E15 and why is it in the farm bill debate?

E15 is a gasoline blend with 15 percent ethanol content, higher than the standard 10 percent blend sold at most U.S. pumps. EPA rules currently prohibit its sale during summer months in most states due to air-quality volatility standards. Farm groups and corn-state lawmakers have pushed to include a year-round E15 waiver in the farm bill because the bill is one of the most reliably moving pieces of agricultural legislation.

Why does E15 need 60 votes in the Senate?

In the Senate, any senator can raise a procedural objection that requires 60 votes to overcome, a process called cloture. Controversial provisions that lack broad bipartisan support are vulnerable to this threshold. Chair Boozman indicated E15 year-round sales do not currently have 60 senators willing to support cloture, making floor passage extremely difficult under standard Senate rules.

What is Proposition 12 and what would a repeal have done?

California's Proposition 12, approved by voters in 2018 and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2023, requires minimum space per animal for pigs, calves, and egg-laying hens whose products are sold in California. A federal repeal provision in the farm bill would have nullified that state law, preventing California from enforcing its standards on out-of-state producers. Pork industry groups supported the repeal, while animal welfare advocates and California lawmakers opposed it.

Does Boozman's statement mean E15 and Prop 12 repeal are officially out of the farm bill?

No. Boozman's remarks are a vote-count assessment, not a formal ruling or committee vote. Either provision could still be proposed as a Senate floor amendment. However, Boozman's judgment that neither can reach 60 votes makes floor passage unlikely under current Senate conditions, and neither is expected to appear in the Senate Agriculture Committee's draft as of May 23, 2026.

When will the Senate Agriculture Committee release its farm bill draft?

As of May 23, 2026, the Senate Agriculture Committee has not announced a markup date. Chair Boozman has indicated a draft is being developed, with priorities including commodity programs, conservation, and nutrition. A markup is generally expected in summer 2026, but no official date has been confirmed.

Where can I track which provisions make it into the Senate farm bill draft?

The Senate committee markup, amendment votes, and floor activity are tracked on the farmbill2.com vote tracker and Senate status pages. When the committee releases its draft text, a bill-by-section summary will be updated to reflect any differences from the House-passed version of H.R. 7567.

Sources

• Politico , Boozman remarks to reporters on E15 and Prop 12 vote counts, dated 2026-05-23.