The long-awaited farm bill from Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), the third-ranked Senate Democrat and chairwoman of the chamber’s Agriculture Committee was introduced Monday, just weeks before benefits will run dry at year’s end.

But more is riding this go-around on the $1.5 trillion legislation that sets agriculture and nutrition policy every five years: it’s been operating on an extension for more than a year, chief Democratic architect Stabenow is retiring, and Republicans will soon control Washington.