Proposed “Save Our Bacon” bill threatens animal-welfare protections, critics say

A federal proposal called the “Save Our Bacon Act” would limit states’ ability to enforce animal-welfare standards like California’s Proposition 12, prompting opposition from animal-rights advocates.

Congress is considering a bill dubbed the “Save Our Bacon Act,” which aims to curb state authority over livestock production standards. Proponents claim the measure supports family farms and bacon consumers, but the text would block states from imposing conditions like those in California’s Proposition 12 that ban cramped gestation crates for pregnant pigs. Sara Gonzales, one outlet host, argues the proposal serves industrial farming interests and undermines animal-welfare progress.

She notes that while she enjoys meat, she opposes the inhumane practice of confining pregnant pigs in crates that restrict movement. The bill would create a federal rule that preempts existing state and local protections, effectively weakening regulations designed to improve the living conditions of animals raised for food. Critics from both liberal and conservative circles are encouraged to reject the legislation, seeing it as a step backward for animal welfare.