The following statement regarding the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry’s Farm Bill markup may be attributed to Arash Yomtobian, President and CEO of Mercy For Animals:
Today, during a highly anticipated markup in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, the Farm Bill failed to advance—and despite strong indications that a senator would introduce the dangerous “Save Our Bacon Act” (SOBA) as an amendment, the proposal was ultimately withheld. This represents an important moment for the animal protection movement and is a direct result of the coalition and advocates who stepped up when it mattered most. By keeping SOBA out of the Senate’s markup, lawmakers have shown they respect the will of voters and are committed to protecting state-level standards, like California’s Proposition 12, that safeguard farmed animals from extreme confinement.
However, this is not a final victory. While the Senate has now entered recess, Committee Chairman John Boozman plans to resume Farm Bill negotiations after the break. We anticipate renewed efforts by lawmakers, backed by factory-farming lobbyist groups, to attempt to insert SOBA during the next Senate committee markup or on the Senate floor. Furthermore, with the House version of the Farm Bill still containing SOBA, we will face a challenging fight to keep this harmful provision out of final legislation during bicameral negotiations.
For now, millions of animals remain protected from the worst practices of industrial agriculture because advocates flooded Congress with calls and messages, sending an undeniable signal that Americans support basic animal welfare standards.
Mercy For Animals remains vigilant and committed to ensuring those protections stay intact. As Congress returns this fall, we will continue mobilizing supporters, raising public awareness, and amplifying constituent voices to ensure that any final, unified Farm Bill remains completely free of any SOBA provisions.
Mercy For Animals urges Congress to prioritize the will of their constituents over ag-industry lobbyists by firmly rejecting the Save Our Bacon Act.
— Arash Yomtobian, President and CEO of Mercy For Animals
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