The following statement regarding the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry’s release of its baseline Farm Bill text may be attributed to Arash Yomtobian, President and CEO of Mercy For Animals:
The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry’s initial draft of the Farm Bill does not include provisions from the Save Our Bacon Act, marking a significant departure from the House version, which contains dangerous language that would undermine state and local laws protecting the worst factory farming practices, such as California’s Proposition 12.
This omission is an important milestone for the animal protection movement and a testament to the strength of the coalition that has worked tirelessly to defend these hard-won protections. By excluding these provisions from its baseline text, the Senate has signaled respect for both the voters’ will and the state laws that protect millions of farmed animals from extreme confinement.
At the same time, this is not a final victory. The National Pork Producers Council has made clear its intention to continue lobbying for a so-called “Prop 12 fix” that would weaken state animal welfare standards. Mercy For Animals, alongside our coalition partners, anticipates efforts to reinsert these provisions during the upcoming committee markup process and later Senate floor consideration.
Because the House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill now differ significantly on this issue, attempts to undermine Proposition 12 and similar laws will likely remain a major point of contention during final negotiations between the two chambers.
For now, millions of animals remain protected from extreme confinement because the Senate chose not to override the will of the voters and dismantle basic animal welfare standards.
Mercy For Animals, alongside our coalition partners, remains vigilant and committed to ensuring those protections remain intact. We will continue mobilizing advocates in key states, raising public awareness, and amplifying constituent voices to ensure that the final Farm Bill remains free of any Save Our Bacon Act provisions.
Mercy For Animals urges lawmakers to reject pressure from factory-farming lobby groups and to stand firmly in support of the voter-approved laws that safeguard animal welfare, uphold states’ rights, and reflect their constituents’ values.
— Arash Yomtobian, President and CEO of Mercy For Animals
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