NPPC Voices Disappointment Over Stalled Farm Bill and Calls for Bipartisan Action

The National Pork Producers Council said it is disappointed that the latest Farm Bill did not advance in Congress. After the Farm Bill 2.0 legislative session ended without a vote, several agriculture industry representatives voiced their frustration. Rob Brenneman, the council’s president, was among them. In a statement released after the session, Brenneman said Congress must include a request from the nation’s 60,000-plus pork producers to end the state‑by‑state patchwork of farm animal housing laws created by California Proposition 12. He added that Proposition 12 makes sustaining their businesses onerous and also blocks the critical input and expertise of swine veterinarians. As negotiations continue over the Farm Bill, the NPPC and other industry groups urged Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Bozeman to produce and pass a bipartisan measure. Brenneman argued that a strong Farm Bill should give producers protection from having to rebuild barns each time another state decides what is best for farmers. The council said the current stalemate leaves pork producers facing higher costs and regulatory uncertainty. Industry analysts note that without federal pre‑emption, producers must comply with a growing list of state rules that vary widely in scope and cost. Brenneman pointed out that veterinarians, who help herd health and disease prevention, are often unable to work across state lines when housing standards differ. He said the lack of a uniform standard forces producers to divert capital from herd improvement to facility upgrades. The NPPC said it will keep pressing lawmakers to attach the pork producers’ request to any final Farm Bill package. Brenneman concluded that a bipartisan bill is the only way to provide the stability the sector needs to invest in genetics, feed efficiency and animal welfare. He warned that continued delay risks pushing more producers out of business or forcing them to consolidate under larger operators. The council’s statement also noted that other commodity groups share similar concerns about state‑level regulations affecting feed, labor and environmental compliance. While the Farm Bill remains stalled, the NPPC said it will monitor committee activity and prepare to testify at upcoming hearings. Brenneman urged Chairman Bozeman to schedule a markup that includes the pork producers’ language and to seek support from both parties. He said the council’s members are ready to work with legislators who recognize the economic contribution of pork production, which accounts for over $20 billion in annual farm receipts. The NPPC added that it will continue to educate consumers about the role of science‑based standards in animal husbandry. In the meantime, the council said it will keep tracking state legislation that could further complicate compliance for producers operating in multiple jurisdictions. The council said it will continue to engage with members of the House and Senate agriculture committees to ensure the pork producers’ request is heard in any conference report. Brenneman noted that the NPPC will also work with state pork producer associations to gather data on how Proposition 12 has affected operating costs and veterinary access. He said the council plans to share that data with lawmakers to illustrate the real‑world consequences of a fragmented regulatory landscape. The NPPC added that it will maintain a public outreach campaign to explain why uniform federal standards benefit both producers and consumers. Finally, Brenneman urged Chairman Bozeman to prioritize the Farm Bill markup before the end of the current congressional session, warning that further delay could jeopardize timely implementation of other agricultural programs tied to the legislation.