WASHINGTON (DTN) -- The Senate Agriculture Committee's discussion draft, released Tuesday, sparked reaction across the agriculture industry and congressional offices.

At the same time, farmers could see as much as $17.3 billion in economic aid that would come outside of the farm bill package.

Farm groups outlined what they support and where they want changes, while senators told DTN what they need from Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., before moving the bill forward.

Before heading to the Senate floor Tuesday night, Boozman told DTN more discussion is needed on all aspects of the legislation.

FARM BUREAU AND ECONOMIC AID

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said in a statement, "the discussion draft is a good first step and provides a solid foundation that Farm Bureau will work to improve upon as the Senate moves toward markup."

AFBF also identified three additional priorities: "economic aid to help farmers struggling with historic inflation, protecting interstate commerce from a patchwork of state laws and approving the sale of E15 blended fuel year-round."

Farm Bureau has also been one of the few organizations to make additional economic assistance a top priority this week.

The timing may be favorable. Politico reported Tuesday that Republican senators are pushing to include $17.3 billion in farm ad-hoc aid in legislation tied to the Iran conflict.

Boozman said in a radio interview that he and Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., are "in the very near future" to getting something done on additional bridge payments.

FINDING THE PROVISION FOR YOU

Farm organizations largely shared the same reaction, welcoming the discussion draft while viewing it as an opportunity to negotiate for their priorities.

National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) CEO Sam Kieffer said, "Wheat farmers need certainty as they contend with stubbornly high input costs, commodity prices that barely break even, and ongoing volatility in global markets. NAWG is reviewing the proposal to assess how it addresses wheat growers' needs, including crop insurance, the farm safety net, trade, research, conservation, and humanitarian programs that move U.S. grain. We look forward to working with Congress and the White House to get this legislation across the finish line this year."

American Soybean Association President Scott Metzger of Ohio said, "Soybean farmers need the certainty and stability that only a five-year farm bill can provide. We appreciate Chairman Boozman and the Senate Agriculture Committee for developing a framework that recognizes the challenges facing agriculture and includes several priorities important to U.S. soybean producers. We look forward to reviewing the draft legislation and working with lawmakers as the farm bill process moves forward."

The proposal also drew praise from the Council of Producers and Distributors of Agrotechnology (CPDA), which celebrated "provisions that would improve pesticide regulation by providing the Environmental Protection Agency additional time to meet registration review requirements and strengthening coordination among EPA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other federal agencies."

The proposal would require the EPA administrator to coordinate with the secretaries of Agriculture, Interior and Commerce regarding the implementation of reasonable and prudent measures related to pesticide use. It also would require the director of the Office of Pest Management Policy to obtain commercial pesticide-use data to inform the Multiple Crop and Pesticide Use Survey and make the survey publicly available.

"Better coordination, reliable agricultural-use data, and consideration of real-world economic impacts are essential to ensuring regulatory and conservation requirements protect the environment while remaining practical and workable for producers," CPDA said.

UNSPOKEN PROVISIONS

Organizations such as the National Farmers Union are asking the committee to go further.

"We urge the committee to go further on priorities that matter to farmers and consumers: mandatory country-of-origin labeling for meat and poultry, year-round nationwide E15, local food procurement funding, and stronger Packers and Stockyards Act enforcement," said National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew. "These reforms would give farmers more predictable risk management tools, reduce uncertainty and end the cycle of repeated emergency interventions."

Year-round E15 continues to search for a legislative vehicle. Jed Bower, an Ohio farmer and president of the National Corn Growers Association, said the group and state affiliates are reviewing the text, but Bower also noted the limited window for legislative action this year.

"While this Congress has few legislative days left, there is still a lengthy to-do list for agriculture, including action on the farm bill, securing Senate passage of year-round E15 and the renewal of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement," Bower said.

Bower noted corn growers from across the country will be in Washington, D.C., the week of July 13 to advocate with members of Congress on these priorities.

SAVE OUR BACON FIGHT

Prop. 12 remains one of the biggest hurdles to bipartisan agreement. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., voiced support for the California law on Tuesday, criticizing the Save Our Bacon Act.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who spoke with DTN after the draft was released, said he would like to make some changes to the bill, but Grassley stopped short of making a firm commitment to protecting the Prop. 12 provisions, instead emphasizing that Boozman should have room to navigate controversial issues ahead of a bipartisan markup. "We're going to let the chairman of the committee do the best thing he can," Grassley explained.

Rob Brenneman, an Iowa pork producer and president of the National Pork Producers Council, told DTN last week he expects Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, to continue pushing for provisions important to pork producers.

"I'm sure she will," Brenneman said. "She's a champion for what we do."

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) pointed to the House's successful passage of its 2026 farm bill as evidence similar provisions could advance in the Senate. "America's pork producers will continue to advocate for a Prop. 12 fix in the formal farm bill like our livelihood depends on it -- because it does," NPPC stated after the text was released.

SNAP DEBATE

Democratic senators oppose leaving the cost-share changes for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enacted in the One Big Beautiful Bill.

Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., told DTN that SNAP cost-sharing "has to be the threshold issue that we resolve before we can even talk about the details of what else is in the bill."

Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., agreed. "Our Democrats are united, and we need to see some change, and it really shouldn't be simplified (the farm bill), because it is such an unfair situation when high error-rate states 21 to one get the benefit of this."

She is proposing updated data and additional time for states to reduce their error rates before the new cost-sharing requirements take effect, she told reporters Tuesday.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., told DTN pressure is mounting on Republican governors.

"There's those who are from states that are also going to get a big ass bill based on the error rate," she said. "Until and unless we come to some deal on how to give our state some relief, we're not going to be able to finalize the farm bill. Senators who vote in support of it will have to answer to their state legislatures and their governors," who "are going to be interested in getting this fixed."

Some Senators will also hold out on their championed provisions.

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., on the farm bill release and exclusion of Foreign Food Aid Jurisdictional Move said, "The farm bill being released is a good thing. There's lots of good things, we need it, but I need to insist that Food for Peace be taken care of."

He said the program is temporarily being administered by USDA, and the permanent transfer will ensure the program's long-term stability and continued success. The House-passed version of the farm bill includes this provision, and the Senate Agriculture Committee "should not advance this legislation until this omission is resolved."

Whether he will hold up the process to do it: "To be determined," he said.

Also see, "Farm Bill Draft Updates Farm Programs, Leaves Out Prop 12, E15," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

Jake Zajkowski can be reached at jake.zajkowski@dtn.com

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