The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced the Trump-backed Farm Bill 2.0 by a 12-11 party-line vote, clearing a key hurdle toward a Senate floor vote. President Trump said he was optimistic Republicans would pass the legislation this year, but it will require some Democratic support to reach the chamber’s 60-vote threshold. Democrats previously blocked the bill from advancing, citing concerns over changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The legislation would set national agriculture and nutrition policy and follows Congress’s failure to advance a farm bill since 2018. The Senate version also includes a provision to permanently transfer administration of the Food for Peace program to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an amendment authored by Senator Jerry Moran that received bipartisan backing during an earlier markup. Trump has linked the legislation to support for farmers and ranchers after criticism over a temporary pause in high tariffs on imported ground beef, saying the bill would include dollar assistance and other measures for the agricultural sector.