Congress is in recess until July 13, leaving the Senate with just four weeks before the August recess to advance a farm bill. Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar believes the outlook has improved. “Senator (John) Boozman (Agriculture Committee Chair) added a bunch of bipartisan provisions to the Senate Farm Bill and has now publicly said that we can make some changes to the way the SNAP cuts happen.” Klobuchar said unity on how changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are handled has increased the chances of success in the Senate Agriculture Committee. Boozman is keeping divisive issues, including year-round E15 and Proposition 12, out of the farm bill. “What he’s tried to do is to get a farm bill,” said Klobuchar. “It doesn’t mean those things won’t be discussed later, but I think he’s done the right thing. It’s the way we get the support. On the E15 front, that passed the House already, and there could well be a vote on the (Senate) floor.”
