WASHINGTON - The Senate farm bill may have to wait until after next year's elections, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin said Thursday.

The bill, which extends agriculture and nutrition programs, has been stalled for more than a week in the Senate, where Republicans and Democrats are bickering over how many amendments to the bill will be offered.

Harkin suggested Thursday that extending current farm law for one year is an option if a Democratic attempt to cut off the debate fails on Friday. That move requires the votes of 60 of the 100 senators.

Republicans have balked at a Democratic attempt to limit amendments, while Democrats are accusing Republicans of slowing the bill down.

"If we can't get a farm bill through the Senate that came out of the committee without one dissenting vote … If we can't do that then what's the use trying to do it next year with the same Senate?" said Harkin, D-Iowa.

Sensing an unbreakable Senate impasse, several House Republicans from farm states said Thursday that they would support a one-year extension.

"Outside the Beltway there are a whole lot of farmers and ranchers waiting for Congress to act so they can plan and plant next year's crop," said GOP Rep. Mac Thornberry, who represents a huge swath of Texas ranch land. "This will give them the certainty necessary to do that."

In the Senate, Harkin said voting to continue debate would be "like killing the farm bill."

"That's it, folks," he said. "That's the end of the ball game."

He said the bill might fare better under a new Congress and a new president. The Bush administration has issued a veto threat against the $286 billion bill, saying it is too expensive and would pay wealthy farmers too much. Bush also threatened to veto a similar House farm bill that passed in July.

"Bankers need to know and farmers need to know what the program will be next year," Harkin said.

The current farm law was passed in 2002 and parts of it have been temporarily extended since it expired Sept. 30. The law is popular in farm country, but members of Congress and farm groups have been reluctant to support an extension because the new bill would provide increases for several crops and domestic nutrition programs.