This year, Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) and advocates across the country have been campaigning against the “Save Our Bacon” (SOB) Act in the federal Farm Bill, an attempt by Big Pork companies to stop states from writing their own laws to protect farmed animals. This is our latest update to our community about these efforts, and how Minnesota is key to deciding its fate.
If passed, the SOB Act would overturn even basic protections for animals across the country, from bans on extreme confinement to restrictions on force-fed animal products like foie gras. Experts warn that it would eliminate 600+ state laws and force millions of pigs and calves into cages too small to turn around. It could also have devastating consequences for laws related to food safety, animal diseases, and public health.
The Farm Bill and the Save Our Bacon Act
What is the Farm Bill? This piece of legislation is a huge omnibus bill that goes through Congress about every five years. It’s more of a package deal and covers a huge range of all sorts of other things in food and agricultural policy, including farm subsidies, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), crop insurance, rural development, and more.
The “Save Our Bacon” (SOB) Act is a proposal backed by Big Pork lobbyists that would wipe out hundreds of state laws regulating the sale of animal products within states’ own borders. It’s just a portion of the larger Farm Bill and has wide-ranging consequences.
The team at Compassionate Action for Animals has been working tirelessly to make sure this Act doesn’t pass. Read more about the Farm Bill and Save Our Bacon Act in our previous update.
What We’ve Already Accomplished With the Save Our Bacon Act
The good news is that we’ve shown that animal advocates are a powerful force to be reckoned with. Check out some highlights of what our movement has already accomplished:
- Last fall, nearly 200 members of the House from both parties signed a letter opposing the SOB Act, including Representatives Kelly Morrison, Betty McCollum, and Ilhan Omar from Minnesota. Both Republican representatives and Democrat representatives from across the country supported this measure.
- In April, members filed a bipartisan amendment to remove the SOB Act from the House version of the Farm Bill. It was widely expected to pass if it got a vote.
- In June, Republican Kansas Senator Roger Marshall who previously served as a lead author on the SOB Act withdrew his co-sponsorship and announced he no longer supports the bill.
- In August, the current Senate lead author didn’t even introduce the SOB Act for a vote in committee after thousands of animal advocates across the country flooded their senators’ phone lines to oppose the bill.
- In September, the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced the Farm Bill to the full Senate with the SOB Act totally excluded. Minnesota’s senators were key to making sure the SOB Act was left out.
Even with all this good news, our work isn’t over yet.
What’s Next for the Save Our Bacon Act? Two Key Pushes
Unfortunately, Big Pork and its allies are relentless. Even though the SOB Act never would have passed the House on an up-or-down vote, it was included in the House version of the Farm Bill due to last-minute maneuvering. That means it’s still alive in final negotiations even if the Senate leaves it out.
With almost two months left in the legislative calendar, we still have two more hurdles to clear to keep the SOB Act out of the final Farm Bill:
- We need to make sure it doesn’t get added to the Senate version of the Farm Bill when it goes for a vote in the full Senate.
- We need to keep Congressional leadership from slipping the SOB Act into the final bill when they meet to negotiate the differences between the House and Senate versions at the end of the year.
Minnesota Is Key in the Battle to Protect Farmed Animals
At each remaining point in the process, Minnesota is going to be key, and Minnesota residents will have a historic opportunity to make our voices heard to protect farmed animals.
Senator Amy Klobuchar is the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Representative Angie Craig is the top-ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee. They each set the tone for their party’s Farm Bill priorities and influence how their colleagues will vote. They’ll also serve as two of the four leaders on the committee that decides what the final Farm Bill will look like. And Senator Klobuchar and Senator Tina Smith will be key votes on any amendment that reaches the Senate floor.
Before the Farm Bill advances further, our members of Congress need to hear from Minnesotans that we oppose any version of the SOB Act at every stage of the Farm Bill. So far, Senators Klobuchar and Smith and Representative Craig have opposed the SOB Act, but they’re going to be under enormous pressure from Big Pork and they need to be reminded where their constituents want them to stand.
How YOU Can Help Protect Farmed Animals Now
We’ve fought hard to stop Big Pork so far, and if we keep up the effort through the end of the year, we can stop the SOB Act dead in its tracks. We just need you to join us.
The most impactful thing you can do is call our members of Congress and ask them to oppose any version of the SOB Act in the Farm Bill. All Minnesota residents can call our senators, and you can call Representative Craig even if you don’t live in her district, as she’ll be negotiating on behalf of all of Minnesota.
Call and Email Your Representatives and Senators Today
Phone numbers for key Minnesota members of Congress:
- Senator Klobuchar: (202) 224-3244
- Senator Smith: (202) 224-5641
- Representative Craig: (202) 225-2271
You can call each of their offices as often as once every day to make your voice heard about the issues that matter to you.
If calling seems too difficult, you can also send an email using the contact forms on their websites. Or do both to make your voice heard!
What to Say When You Call or Email
Not sure what to say? It’s ok, we’ve got you covered. We’ve provided this sample script as a starting point. Feel free to use this when you call or email, but please note that personalizing it a bit and putting it in your own voice will have an even bigger impact.
“Hi, my name is [NAME], and I live in [CITY/ZIP]. I’m calling to urge [Senator Klobuchar/Senator Smith/Representative Craig] to keep any version of the Save Our Bacon Act out of the Farm Bill. The Save Our Bacon Act would eliminate important protections for farmed animals and hurt Minnesota farmers who already invested in following the law. Please stand with your Minnesota constituents and oppose the Save Our Bacon Act. Thank you!”
It’s that easy! Together, we can take our fight across the finish line and show that Big Pork is no match for thousands of compassionate citizens. Thank you for speaking up for animals with us.
