During a recent trip to Washington, John Hansen, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union, saw US Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., cast what became the deciding vote to advance the 2026 farm bill from the Senate Agriculture Committee. Hansen told Courier Nebraska he was in D.C. on Sept. 16 to meet with members of Congress about the farm bill and USDA. He described McConnell being wheeled into the committee room, mistakenly voting “no” on the measure, then being prompted by staffers to correct his vote to “yes,” ultimately advancing the stalled agricultural policy package.
