On April 30, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Food and National Security Act of 2026 by a vote of 224–20. Supporters called it bipartisan progress. Animal advocates know better. This bill is, at its core, a gift to factory farming interests, and it just moved one step closer to becoming law.
The Threat: The “Save Our Bacon Act”
The most alarming provision in this bill is something critics have aptly named the “Save Our Bacon Act.” Its goal is to nullify state laws like California’s Proposition 12 and Massachusetts’ Question 3, ballot measures that more than 10 million Americans voted for to end the use of gestation crates: two-foot-by-seven-foot metal cages that immobilize breeding sows for virtually their entire lives.
This isn’t just an animal welfare issue. It’s a direct attack on democracy.
If the federal government can override the will of state voters on animal protection, it sets a dangerous precedent. Gutting state welfare laws doesn’t level the playing field; it tilts it further toward industrial factory farming.
What the Bill Ignores
Just as troubling as what’s in the bill is what’s not. Lawmakers had the opportunity to include commonsense, bipartisan protections for animals, and chose not to. The bill omits proposals to end the export of American horses to slaughter in Canada and Mexico, strengthen enforcement against dogfighting and cockfighting, and prevent the revival of taxpayer subsidies to the mink fur industry. These weren’t fringe proposals. They had broad, bipartisan support. They were simply left out.
The Senate Is Our Window
The bill now moves to the Senate, where its future is uncertain. That uncertainty is an opportunity. Senators can strip the “Save Our Bacon Act” and add back the animal protections that were left on the cutting room floor.
But only if they hear from us.
Take Action Today
Contact your senator about the farm bill immediately! Send your senator a letter directly – we make it easy to educate them with the email to your senator below.
