Sen. Mitch McConnell returned to the Senate after a 92-day absence and cast the vote that helped the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry advance The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 by 12-11 along party lines. McConnell, who had been recovering from a fall and pneumonia, voted from a wheelchair and softly said "aye" after his name was called. The legislation, also described as the Agricultural Act of 2026 or Farm Bill 2.0, now moves to the full Senate, though Democrats say substantial changes are needed. The package includes year-round E15 sales, mandatory country-of-origin beef labeling, expanded Farm Service Agency loan limits, fertilizer-storage financing and crop-insurance protections tied to the Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Project. A major dispute centers on requiring states to share federal costs associated with high SNAP payment-error rates, a provision Democrats say could impose a $140 million administrative burden on Minnesota counties. The House passed its bipartisan farm bill in April, while Congress has not enacted a new farm bill since 2018.