Group of U.S. House Members Oppose Bill That Would Overturn Prop 12

More than 150 members of the U.S. House sent a letter to U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “G.T.” Thompson, R-Pa., and Ranking Member David Scott, R-Ga., on Monday citing their opposition to the Ending Agriculture Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, H.R. 4417/S. 2019, led by Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, and Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., in the Senate.

Two of the leading groups that lobbied the Members of Congress to join the letter include the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) and Competitive Markets Action (CMA), as well as members of the Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association, Kansas Cattlemen’s Association, National Dairy Producers Organization, Contract Poultry Growers Association of the Virginias, and others, CMA said in a release.

The EATS Act would curb states' ability to regulate agricultural products sold within their borders and is in part aimed at California's Proposition 12, which sets housing standards for animals used for pork, veal and eggs sold in the state, Reuters reports. However, the bill could also threaten numerous state laws related to food safety and public health and represents an overreach of the federal government, the authors of the letter claim.

"We believe that Congress should not usurp the power of states to regulate food and agricultural products," wrote the bipartisan group of lawmakers, led by Democrat Earl Blumenauer. "The federal government should play a complementary role to the states on agriculture policy, rather than rendering them powerless."

The current farm bill expires Sept. 30, although Congress will likely need to pass a short-term extension due to delays drafting and negotiating the next bill, Reuters reports.

The National Pork Producers Council supports the EATS Act but some large pork companies are opposed to the bill.

On Aug. 9, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird led 16 states in a letter to U.S. Congressional leadership, urging the passage of the EATS Act. The authors of that letter said the EATS Act gives states the tools they need to protect farmers and ranchers. By explicitly authorizing courts to issue a preliminary injunction while a case is pending, the EATS Act ensures that food markets will not be disrupted while a court figures out whether a state’s new regulation is lawful.

“California needs to keep their hands off our bacon,” Attorney General Bird said in a release. “No other state should be dictating how Iowans farm, let alone California’s bureaucrats. The EATS Act stops California’s overreach and gives state attorneys general the tools they need to fight for farmers and ranchers. We urge Congress to pass the EATS Act and stand up for livestock producers across the nation.”

Read More:

Attorneys Call on Congress to Pass the EATS Act Now

EATS Act: Preserving Free Market Commerce in Agriculture Amidst Prop 12

Is the EATS Act the Answer to Prop 12 Concerns?