The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced its 2026 Farm Bill on Wednesday by a 12-11 party-line vote, sending the roughly five-year reauthorization to the Senate floor without a controversial provision that would have barred states from enforcing stricter animal welfare standards than federal rules.

Democrats on the committee voted against the measure. They have said throughout markup they will withhold support unless the bill includes at least a two-year delay to the Republican-crafted requirement that states shoulder part of the administrative cost of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The roll call marked the return of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to the chamber.

The committee-passed draft omitted language — included in the House version — that would have preempted state laws governing hog, veal and poultry confinement. Industry groups and farm-state lawmakers have pushed the provision in response to California's Proposition 12 and Massachusetts' Question 3, both of which require egg-laying hens, breeding pigs and veal calves to be housed with enough space to turn around, lie down and extend their limbs.

What did animal welfare groups say?

Humane World Action Fund President Sara Amundson praised the outcome. "As expected, the Senate Agriculture Committee leadership pointedly refused to let special interests poison the Farm Bill with the problematic and polarizing Save Our Bacon Act, which could overturn the hard-won progress states have made for farmed animals along with hundreds of other state laws that help keep communities healthy and safe," Amundson said in a statement.

Why did the amendment fail?

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) repeatedly pressed for a committee vote on her amendment, which she framed as a fix for what she called an "unaffordable patchwork" facing livestock producers selling into multiple states. Details of the amendment were not made public. Ernst brought it up moments after Chairman John Boozman (R-Ark.) gaveled the meeting to order.

Boozman moved directly into a roll call, ruling that the deadline for amendments had passed. Ernst kept speaking over the votes.

"We are not even given an opportunity to bring this up for a vote. Iowa's livestock producers deserve more than expressions of support, they deserve an honest debate, which we were denied today," Ernst said.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) backed Ernst, calling it "stupid that we don't have a chance to bring Iowa's interest in this debate."

Boozman defended the process, saying he works "very hard to protect the rights of everyone here." But, he added, "we're not opening the bill up again."

What's next on the floor?

The bill faces a steep climb in the full Senate. Republicans hold 53 seats, Democrats 45 and two Independents caucus with the Democrats — meaning leadership needs at least seven bipartisan votes to reach the 60-vote cloture threshold. The SNAP cost-share dispute and the unresolved question of state preemption over CAFO standards are the two amendments most likely to resurface during floor debate.

The House version, which still contains the preemption language Ernst championed, awaits its own floor action. A conference committee would have to reconcile the two chambers' differences on Prop 12-style standards before final passage — a fight that will reshape how pork, egg and veal producers plan capital investments across state lines.