John Boozman’s farm bill draft leaves out Democrats’ demand to delay the October 2027 shift requiring some states to cover part of SNAP benefit costs, according to people familiar with the plan.
That omission threatens bipartisan backing because Democrats say they will oppose any bill that keeps the cost-share provision Republicans enacted last year, while Boozman still needs Democratic votes to clear the Senate’s 60-vote threshold.
Some GOP senators from states facing budget strain have privately supported a delay, and anti-hunger advocates warn the policy could cut benefits or push people off the program.
The draft also drops other Republican and industry priorities, including year-round E15 sales and limits on certain state animal-welfare and pesticide-labeling laws, setting up amendment fights in committee.
Boozman’s proposal largely mirrors the House bill that passed in April with 12 Democratic votes, and he is targeting a Senate markup between the July 4 and August recesses.