Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, issued the following statement after voting against the 2026 Farm Bill in Committee:
“I am disappointed we could not get to a bipartisan Farm Bill today. Colorado’s farmers, ranchers, and families across the state need support now more than ever, and this bill fails to deliver. At a time when families are already struggling to afford groceries, Republicans are working to make SNAP even more inaccessible, all while placing the financial burden on states and the backs of hardworking families. For Colorado, this bill would be a devastating blow to our already strained budget. It also does little to meet the increasing demands caused by historic drought and worsening fire seasons across the West, and fails to make any meaningful investments in nutrition, conservation, specialty crops, forestry, or Western agriculture.
“Current Farm Bill policies are not working for today’s agricultural economy and are simply reinforcing a broken status quo. We need to examine why that is, rather than just polishing around the edges. The Committee must deliver a comprehensive multi-year bill ensuring certainty not just among agriculture producers, but for the people who rely on this legislation to put food on the table.
“For these reasons, and for the first time in my career, I voted against advancing a Farm Bill. We have to go back to the table and engage in true bipartisan negotiations in order to serve the best interests of farmers and families in Colorado and across the country.”
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