February 13, 2026
Washington, D.C. – On February 13, 2026, the House Agriculture Committee released the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026, which is slated for Committee markup on February 23.
The text contains a version of the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, recently rebranded as the Save Our Bacon (SOB) Act, which would strip state and local governments of their ability to pass agricultural policies within their own borders, overturning hundreds of state laws.
In response, the Defeat EATS Coalition—a diverse group of over 100 organizations urging opposition to the EATS Act and any legislation like it—issued the following statement:
“The House Agriculture Committee continues to push the false narrative that commonsense laws like California’s Proposition 12 need fixing, ignoring the fact that the ‘market chaos’ they claimed would be the result of enactment has not materialized. The inclusion of the EATS Act in the Farm Bill draft is a betrayal of the thousands of farmers and concerned citizens across the country who strongly support these laws.
“Rather than trampling states’ rights and taking market opportunities away from independent hog farmers, Congress should focus on meeting the pressing needs of higher-welfare farmers across the country who are facing increasing consolidation and turbulent markets that threaten their survival.
“States should be able to pass laws that protect the health and wellbeing of their communities, set common-sense animal welfare protections, and provide opportunities for farmers to meet the growing demand for more humane animal products. We urge Congress to stop wasting farmers’ time and instead work on Farm Bill reforms that actually help producers to better align with America’s vision for a healthier and more resilient food system.”
Media Contacts:
Joe Maxwell, Farm Action Fund, jmaxwell@farmactionfund.us, 573-590-0421
Phoebe Trotter, Food & Water Watch, ptrotter@fwwatch.org, 202-683-2504
Maureen Linehan, ASPCA, maureen.linehan@aspca.org, 646-628-0006