Stand Up For Animals: Take Action This Week Against the EATS Act 2.0

Big Ag is at it again—trying to strip away crucial state animal protection laws under a shiny new name. The so-called “Food Security and Farm Protection Act” (FSFPA) (S. 1326) is simply the EATS Act 2.0, and it poses the same devastating threat to animals and people. This week, your voice is more important than ever as we unite to tell Congress that Americans won’t stand for this corporate power grab.

What’s really happening?

The Food Security and Farm Protection Act is designed to wipe out state laws that ban the sale of products that are the result of cruel cage confinement of egg-laying chickens, mother pigs, and baby veal calves. Even the monumental Proposition 12—hailed as the strongest animal welfare law in the world—is under threat.

Let’s be clear about what this legislation actually does: it would nullify state and local laws regarding animal welfare, environmental protection, child labor, and food safety if those laws impose production standards on agricultural products from other states. This means hard-won protections for animals—like California’s Proposition 12, which gives animals enough space to turn around and extend their limbs—could be wiped away.

But it doesn’t stop there. If passed, the Food Security and Farm Protection Act could also destroy hundreds of other protections against terrible cruelties—like the abuse of dogs in puppy mills and the killing of animals for the wildlife trade.

The industry wants you to believe this is about food security and protecting farmers. In reality, it’s about protecting factory farming profits at the expense of animals, local communities, and our right to decide what happens in our own states.

Why this matters now

Thousands of other state laws are also at risk, including pesticide application on fields, arsenic in food, protection against lead poisoning, pollution standards for spraying sewage on crops, and child labor.

After its previous attempt with the EATS Act failed, Big Ag and its allies in Congress are trying again with essentially the same bill under a new name. A Harvard Law School report has detailed how this legislation, and legislation like it, would devastate thousands of laws nationwide, including animal protection laws, and override the will of voters who have repeatedly chosen to protect animals from the worst abuses.

Along with taking aim at existing animal protection laws, the EATS Act and laws like it would make it nearly impossible to enact future legislation banning products that are a result of extreme cruelty. As our partners at Animal Equality explain, EATS would mean a “race to the bottom” in terms of conditions for farmed animals. With no regulations in place, meat industry abusers would be free to produce cheaper and cheaper animal products by the cruelest means possible—setting the bar lower and lower across the country.

This isn’t just about animals—it’s about corporate power versus democracy. Should massive corporations be able to override the laws that voters and their elected representatives have enacted? We don’t think so, and we’re guessing you don’t either.

The Defeat EATS Coalition has condemned this newly unveiled legislation for good reason, and the ASPCA has urged Congress to reject this rebranded attack on animal protection laws.

How you can take action this week

Your voice has tremendous power, especially when joined with thousands of others. Here’s how you can make a difference this week:

1. Call your legislators. Tell your members of Congress to oppose the FSFPA. Your elected officials need to hear directly from you that their constituents care about protecting animals and preserving states’ rights. Look up the phone numbers for your Senators and Representatives, and give their offices a quick ring. Here’s what you can say: “My name is [Name], and I’m a constituent residing in [your zip code]. I’m calling to ask that you oppose the S. 1326—the Farm Security and Farm Protection Act, a renamed version of the dangerous EATS Act. I also ask that you oppose any version of the Farm Bill that includes this language or any language that would overturn state agriculture laws, like California’s Proposition 12.”

2. Tag your legislators. Spread the word. Share information about the FSFPA on social media to inform friends and family about this dangerous legislation—and make sure you tag your Senators and Representatives. The more people who know, the stronger our opposition becomes.

3. Send a message to your legislators. Take action with us and stand against this corporate power grab, then share it with others.

The time to act is now

When we stopped the EATS Act last year, it was because compassionate people like you spoke up. Big Ag is counting on our silence and fatigue as they try again with the same harmful policy under a new name.

But we know better. We know that when we stand together against cruelty, we can win. We’ve done it before, and with your help, we’ll do it again.

Animals can’t speak for themselves in the halls of Congress. They need you to be their voice. By taking just a few minutes this week to take action, you’ll be standing up for millions of animals who deserve protection from extreme confinement and abuse.

Together, we can ensure that states maintain their right to pass laws that reflect their constituents’ values—including compassion for animals. Thank you for standing with animals and with the democratic process that allows states to protect them. Your actions truly matter.