WASHINGTON, D.C., June 23, 2026 — The National Pork Producers Council, which represents America’s 60,000-plus pork producers, led a coalition representing millions of agriculture producers in calling on Senate Agriculture Committee leaders to include in the final 2026 Farm Bill a solution for California Proposition 12 and the impossible patchwork of state laws it promotes.
Shortly after, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) released a farm bill discussion draft that includes several NPPC priorities—including funding for the U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan—but minus a Prop. 12 fix.
“While there is certainly room for improvement, we appreciate the Chairman putting forward a discussion draft to guide a path forward. He is spot on when he says, ‘it’s the Senate’s turn to deliver’ on a farm bill for all of rural America,” said National Pork Producers Council President Rob Brenneman, a pork producer from Washington County, Iowa. “America’s pork producers will continue to advocate for a Prop. 12 fix in the formal farm bill like our livelihood depends on it—because it does.”
In a last-ditch effort, activists launched a $30 million ad campaign to intimidate lawmakers, twist facts and science, and discredit years of hard work real pig farmers have put in to fix Prop. 12.
“Prop. 12 is creating an unpredictable, unavoidable wave of conflicting state laws and uncertainty — and farmers are the ones left to drown in its wake. We don’t have millions of dollars to spend on political advertising fighting these senseless ads aimed at intimidating our congressional leaders.” said Brenneman. “We need those leaders to hear what we are asking over baseless ad campaigns because we still have to raise our pigs, pay our bills, and compete in a marketplace increasingly shaped by mandates coming from states with very few pig farmers.”
Without Prop. 12 relief in the final farm bill, pork producers face a patchwork of state animal housing laws that hurts small farmers the hardest, takes away veterinarians’ choices, increases the cost of food, and undermines states’ rights.
Fixing Prop. 12 has broad bipartisan support, as evidenced in the U.S. House of Representatives’ successful 2026 Farm Bill vote.
NPPC thanks its Senate champions for continuing to fight for U.S. pork producers’ freedom to farm: Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ted Budd (R-NC), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Mike Rounds (R-SD).
Comments