GOP-backed bill accidentally forces states to legalize horse meat: analyst

The Republican-backed farm bill, passed by the House on Thursday after a tumultuous series of setbacks, attracted heavy controversy for the inclusion of a pork-industry lobbyist wish list item.

Known as the "Save Our Bacon Act," the provision seeks to override state-level bans on the sale of pork from pigs raised in "gestation crates," a controversial practice many animal welfare advocates argue is a form of animal abuse.

But it might be worse than that, argued Coefficient Giving managing director Lewis Bollard on X — because the way the bill was worded, it might have accidentally legalized something even more controversial.

"The Save Our Bacon Act is meant to wipe out state bans on the sale of pork from crated pigs. But its text is much broader. It bars states from regulating the sale of all meat from 'covered livestock' based on how it was produced elsewhere," wrote Bollard. "Horses raised for slaughter fit the bill's definition of 'covered livestock'. So its plain text would force states to allow horse meat sales, invalidating bans like Texas's — on the books since 1949."

Horses are not widely raised for human consumption in the U.S., but that is partly because the only states that have ever had operational horse slaughterhouses, Texas and Illinois, cracked down on the practice with state-level bans.

"I doubt the reps who voted for the farm bill knew it would do this," wrote Bollard. "But they knew it would wipe out state crate bans. And they didn't care enough to ask what else would go with them."

The Senate is set to take up the House-passed farm bill for debate and revision as soon as later this month.