Reposted from: https://patch.com/district-columbia/washingtondc/congress-must-reject-save-our-bacon-act-protect-food-safety-states-nodx
September 18, 2025
Congress faces another Farm Bill deadline at the end of September. The one-year extension passed last fall will expire on September 30, and with no new deal ready, leaders will likely attach another extension to a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government funded through November 21.
Deadlines may feel like procedural maneuvers in Washington, but what’s at stake could not be more real. Buried in the Farm Bill debate is the deceptively named “Save Our Bacon (SOB) Act” (H.R. 4673), led by Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-IA, a rebranded version of the EATS Act we defeated in 2024. This legislation threatens to erase more than 1,000 state and local agriculture laws, undermining food safety, consumer protection, state sovereignty, and even our national security.
A Federal Power Grab
Proponents of the SOB claim it is about protecting farmers from inconsistent regulation. In reality, it is a massive federal overreach that would override voter-approved ballot measures and state legislation alike.
When California voters passed Proposition 12 in 2018 and Massachusetts approved Question 3, they set higher welfare standards for sows—requiring they be able to lie down, stand up, and turn around. These laws didn’t just reflect humane values; they responded to consumer demand for transparency and safer farming practices. The Supreme Court upheld them in 2023 in a decision written by Justice Neil Gorsuch and joined in part by Justices Clarence Thomas and Amy Coney Barrett. Yet the Save Our Bacon Act would nullify those very laws.
The Harvard Law School Animal Law & Policy Program catalogued the damage: more than a thousand state laws—covering food safety, anti-fraud protections, pesticide regulation, and even kosher and halal standards—could be swept aside if EATS/SOB passes. Imagine Washington telling religious communities that their food standards no longer apply.
Food Safety and Security Risks
Erasing these state laws puts every consumer at risk. State regulations help prevent contaminated pork from entering the supply chain, monitor pesticide usage, and establish safeguards against animal-borne diseases that can devastate both agriculture and public health. Without them, oversight would fall to the lowest common denominator—whatever corporate giants deem acceptable.
We’ve seen the consequences before. Outbreaks of swine flu, salmonella, and other pathogens have cost the U.S. economy billions. In 2015, avian influenza wiped out more than 50 million birds and caused $3.3 billion in losses. The pork industry is no less vulnerable: packed conditions without proper oversight create fertile ground for the next crisis. Food safety is not an abstract issue—it is a matter of public health, economic stability, and consumer confidence.
The National Security Dimension
Even more troubling, the biggest beneficiary of the Save Our Bacon Act would be Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, which is controlled by the Chinese. Smithfield already controls one in every six breeding sows in the United States. Allowing federal law to wipe out state standards would consolidate their power even further.
General Michael Flynn sounded the alarm in a Legal Reader op-ed, warning that EATS-style measures “eradicate state and local control over agriculture, allowing foreign conglomerates to operate without restriction in our communities.” He wrote: “Giving a monopoly on food to China should be a non-starter in agricultural policy and a red-line issue for legislators.” Flynn is right: food security is national security.
Consider this: the U.S. has lost over 70% of its hog farms since 1990 as corporate consolidation has intensified. Family farms have been shuttered while foreign-owned conglomerates expanded. If Congress eliminates the very state laws that level the playing field, that trend will accelerate, pushing even more independent producers out of business and leaving America’s food supply vulnerable to outside influence.
Growing, Bipartisan Opposition
The good news is that momentum is building against the Save Our Bacon Act. Fourteen House Republicans— Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (FL), Nancy Mace (SC), Andrew Garbarino (NY), David Valadao (CA), Vern Buchanan (FL), Byron Donalds (FL), Carlos Gimenez (FL), and Gus Bilirakis (FL), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Mike Lawler (NY), Young Kim (CA), along with Reps. Chris Smith, Tom Kean, and Jeff Van Drew all from New Jersey—sent a letter to House Agriculture Committee leaders opposing its inclusion in the Farm Bill.
Thousands of family farmers, ranchers, and companies like Clemens Food Group and Niman Ranch have joined them, arguing that they’ve already invested millions to comply with state laws and serve consumer demand. Wiping out those investments would reward only the largest players who refused to adapt.
Opposition spans the ideological spectrum: from Moms for America to Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller to national groups like the National Governors Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the National League of Cities. These voices agree on one principle: Washington should not override the will of voters and legislatures in all 50 states.
The Farm Bill Deadline
With the Farm Bill extension set to expire on September 30, and Congress likely kicking the can down the road to November 21, lawmakers have a choice. They can use the pressure of deadlines to smuggle in harmful corporate riders like the SOB, or they can stand firm for states’ rights, consumers, and national security.
This debate is not just about animal welfare. It is about whether we allow foreign-owned corporations to dictate America’s food policies, whether consumers can trust the labels on their groceries, and whether states retain the right to govern their own agriculture.
The Bottom Line
The so-called Save Our Bacon Act is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It pretends to protect farmers, but in reality, it rewards corporate consolidation, undermines consumer protections, jeopardizes food safety, and strengthens China’s grip on America’s food supply.
Congress must draw the line. Reject this act. Protect state sovereignty. Defend American farmers. And above all, keep control of our food—and our security—where it belongs: in American hands.
Marty Irby is the president and CEO at Competitive Markets Action and secretary at the Organization for Competitive Markets. He was named One of The Hill’s Top Lobbyists for 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024 and resides in Washington, D.C.