SNAP funding disputes stall the 2018 Farm Bill renewal
Congress has failed to pass a new agricultural package since October 1, 2026, as partisan conflicts over nutrition assistance and budget reconciliation measures delay final legislation.
By Tomas Gonzalez ·
The 2018 Farm Bill expired on October 1, 2026, leaving federal agricultural and food programs without a legislative framework. Congress has not yet passed a replacement, despite a House version clearing the chamber and a Senate version awaiting a floor vote. The delay stems from persistent disagreements over Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding and the implementation of provisions from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Agriculture law expert Jonathan Coppess of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign noted that the 2013 House defeat of a farm bill marked the first such loss since 1962. He observed that recent legislative cycles have focused on subtracting from existing programs rather than adding new ones. The 2018 legislation included approximately $428 billion in planned expenditures, with SNAP accounting for three quarters of that total. Republicans have sought to reduce this program's size in multiple recent cycles.
Mike Stranz, vice president of advocacy for the National Farmers Union, stated that historical farm bill success relied on coalitions spanning urban and rural interests, as well as different crop regions. He said these alliances included stakeholders from forestry to biotechnology. "Bringing in nutrition, bringing in conservation, bringing in any number of other topics from energy to forestry to biotechnology and emerging specialty crops gave it more stakeholders, gave it more support, and that's how it got done," Stranz said. He added that the current process lacks major reforms to the farm safety net, forcing reliance on temporary disaster assistance programs that have cost over $100 billion in the last decade.
Jordan Dux, a policy analyst for the Nebraska Farm Bureau, argued that the coalition remains intact despite partisan tensions. He pointed to the unanimous passage of an amendment package in the Senate committee and ongoing collaboration on ethanol standards and animal welfare rules. "I wouldn't say the coalition is fractured," Dux said. "There's still bipartisanship there." He noted that the Senate requires 60 votes to pass its version, suggesting that some level of cross-party agreement is necessary for final approval.
The Senate Agriculture Committee passed its version of the bill in September after a tense August recess. The committee reached a partial compromise regarding state benefit cost-sharing for high SNAP error rates. Democrats continue to push for reversals of cuts made through the reconciliation budget procedures in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Coppess described these budgetary entanglements as holding rural development and research funding hostage, creating what he called "political dynamite" that strains the legislative coalition.
With midterm elections approaching, Dux said the outcome of those votes will determine if Republicans can secure the necessary votes to finish the bill in the current congressional session. Coppess believes the current draft will not address the specific challenges farmers face through 2031. "The bottom line is nothing really changes for farmers going forward," Coppess said. The Senate must vote on its version before the two chambers can negotiate a final text for presidential signature.
