Nearly 150 pork producers from California to New York joined forces in Washington to advocate for their farms and livelihoods as the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry passed the Agricultural Act of 2026 out of Committee.
“Our message to Congress is clear: Stop the patchwork nightmare that California Proposition 12 has created for pork producers across the country. Our family farms cannot afford the uncertainty these conflicting state laws is creating,” said National Pork Producers Council President Rob Brenneman, a pork producer from Washington County, Iowa. “We’re not backing down from this fight for rural America. I’m proud of my fellow pork producers for taking precious time away from their farms to travel to Washington, D.C., and meet face to face with their elected officials. They are advocating for reasonable legislation that allows us to continue farming and pass down our farms to the next generation.”
During NPPC’s biannual Legislative Action Conference, pork producers from across the country were briefed by a bipartisan group of legislators, including U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson (R-PA), and Agriculture Committee member Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH). NPPC officers also visited with U.S. Department of Agriculture officials responsible for administering federal programs on which producers depend.
Spreading out across Capitol Hill, pork producers took their message to approximately 175 congressional offices, advocating on behalf of their fellow American 60,000+ producers. Among their asks were including a fix to California Proposition 12 in the final farm bill, funding the U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan, supporting the “Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act” for year-round labor support, and urging the Trump administration to quickly complete the review to renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
NPPC also presented Sen. Ernst and Chairman Thompson with the inaugural “Bringing Home the Bacon” congressional award. The award recognizes members of Congress who have championed the needs of the pork industry and contributed to enhancing or protecting the livelihoods of U.S. pork producers.
Sen. Ernst has championed many pieces of legislation that have supported pork producers, even in challenging environments, including leading the “Food Security and Farm Protection Act,” supporting the New Swine Inspection System and championing the bipartisan “Expanding Local Meat Processing Act” to grow local, small and medium-sized meat-processing capacity.
Chairman Thompson championed both the 2024 and 2026 House Farm Bills. The 2026 bill—the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026—which passed the full House, included 100% of pork producers’ asks, including a federal fix to the massive issues caused by the impending patchwork of state laws spurred by California Prop 12. The bill also boosted animal health, international trade, food security and agricultural research programs. Most recently, he authored the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act of 2026, which aims to boost the agricultural workforce and incorporates pork producers’ request to expand year-round access to the H-2A visa program.
To top off the conference, NPPC hosted its annual Baconfest congressional reception where more than 1,100 guests, including members of Congress and their staff, embassy officials, and industry stakeholders, gathered to discuss pork industry priorities and enjoy a variety of delicious pork-centric snacks—including the famous bacon wall.
