STATEMENT: Sens. Schiff, Booker Urge Removal of Farm Bill Language that Preempts State Laws

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, released today the following statement in response to the House-passed Farm Bill’s inclusion of language that would preempt California’s Proposition 12 and other state laws: “We are extremely disappointed that today’s House-passed Farm Bill includes language to preempt California’s Prop 12 and other state laws. These laws set bare-minimum sanitation and space requirements for farm animals and are a lifeline to small, independent farmers who rely on the markets these laws have created. In order for a Farm Bill to pass in the Senate, poison pills such as Prop 12 preemption need to be removed.” Background: In July 2025, Senators Schiff, Booker, Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Edward Markey (D-Mass.) led a group of over 30 Senators in urging Senate Agriculture Committee leadership to strongly oppose efforts to overturn laws like California’s Proposition 12. ###