Farmers Condemn Schumer for Causing Government Shutdown as Farm Bill Expires

Washington, D.C. — With the expiration of the Farm Bill last night, and a government shutdown that began today, family farmers and ranchers represented by Competitive Markets Action (CMA) and the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) are condemning Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, for his role in the impending crisis. The groups have been diligently working to secure a fair and balanced Farm Bill and to defeat legislation known as the Save Our Bacon (SOB) Act, H.R. 4673, that would harm American family farmers who practice more humane and sustainable agriculture.

Taylor Haynes, President of OCM and Founder of the Wyoming Independent Cattlemen’s Association, said: “This is a failure of leadership at the highest level. Our farmers deserve stability, and instead they’re getting political brinkmanship that leaves them in limbo. We urge Congress to reject the Save Our Bacon Act and get back to real solutions for our agricultural communities.”

Jonathan Buttram, OCM Treasurer and President of the Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association, stated: “We’ve already seen how harmful federal overreach can be. The Save Our Bacon Act is just another attempt to put corporate interests ahead of the American farmer and the American consumer. We need to protect the marketplace and keep our food supply safe and locally accountable.”

Mike Schultz, Founder of the Kansas Cattlemen’s Association and OCM Vice President, emphasized: “This isn’t just about politics—it’s about the backbone of rural America. A shutdown hits rural communities the hardest. And letting the Save Our Bacon Act move forward would be an even bigger blow to the farmers who have done everything right to meet consumer demand and protect their livelihoods.”

“American farmers are being left in the lurch due to political gamesmanship,” added Marty Irby, President of CMA and Secretary at OCM. 

The failure to extend the Farm Bill and the looming shutdown expose the dangers of the so-called Save Our Bacon (SOB) Act, led by Rep. Ashely Hinson, R-IA. “This shutdown is bad enough on its own,” Irby continued. “The lack of a long-term farm bill in place, and threat of the pending SOB that would erase hundreds of state laws and hand more control of our food supply to a Chinese-controlled conglomerate, is simply unconscionable.”

The primary backer of the SOB is the Chinese-controlled Smithfield, that has poured tremendous resources into nullifying California’s Proposition 12 and Massachusetts Question 3, measures enacted by a vote of the people, that bans the sale of pork in those states derived from hogs raised in gestation crates. An updated analysis of the SOB by Harvard was released this week, and identified hundreds of state laws and regulations that the SOB would nullify, many of which protect American family farmers and the markets where they sell their products.

The Harvard analysis follows a letter against the SOB led by Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, R-FL, Nancy Mace, R-SC, David Valadao, R-CA, and Andrew Garbarino, R-NY, signed by 14 House Republicans that was sent to House Agriculture Committee leaders a few weeks ago.

As Congress moves forward, CMA and OCM call on lawmakers to reject the Save Our Bacon Act, extend the Farm Bill, and restore stability to the agricultural sector.

The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Lincoln, Nebraska. The foundation of the Organization for Competitive Markets is to fight for competitive markets in agriculture for farmers, ranchers and rural communities. True competition reduces the need for economic regulation. Our mission, and our duty, is to define and advocate the proper role of government in the agricultural economy as a regulator and enforcer of rules necessary for markets that are fair, honest, accessible and competitive for all citizens.

Competitive Markets Action (CMA) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit based in Washington, D.C., that was formed with the mission of shaping policy to promote more regenerative and sustainable agriculture, and competitive markets in the U.S., and to defend against attacks on states’ rights by the federal government. CMA works to raise awareness of the harm caused by multinational conglomerates to the American family farmer, the consumer and our U.S. economy as a whole in an effort to bring about legislative and regulatory reforms.