Today, we have posted the preview version of our annual Humane Scorecard covering the second half of the 119th Congress to help you assess the position of federal legislators on our priority measures. The 119th Congress has presented our movement with unprecedented challenges in many areas of serious concern, and with your support and engagement, we’ve done our best to hold the line against the worst threats to animal protection. That includes an unrelenting campaign by the National Pork Producers Council, the American Farm Bureau Federation and other factory farming interests to destroy state-level laws that support animal welfare and public health. We have fought them at every turn, and we’ll keep that fight going until the backward-facing segments of the pork industry accept the fact that Americans are fed up with intensive confinement cruelties and don’t want to see animals suffer at scale just to prop up some factory farming operation’s profit margins.
Check out the 2026 Humane Scorecard Preview >>
We’ve also done our best to block efforts to gut the Endangered Species Act and other wildlife protection laws and regulations, at a time when they are under withering attack not just from members of Congress but from leaders in key agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This too is an ongoing struggle and one that will continue in the 120th Congress when it convenes in January.
Many of the senators and representatives who are serving in the 119th Congress will return to office in the next one, and that’s all the more reason for us to review their votes and positions on our priority measures, which will likely be reintroduced in 2027.
For now, there’s still time to press elected officials to support these priority measures as the 119th Congress winds down. If you do not see your senators and your representative listed as co-sponsors of key bills, we hope you’ll reach out, asking them to promptly co-sponsor them. The scorecard does more than just hold elected officials accountable for their votes. It also creates incentives for federal legislators to assert leadership on humane issues and take the pro-animal position on a range of actions.
We work on hundreds of issues involving a range of federal agencies with responsibilities for regulating and upholding animal welfare. For example, through the annual appropriations process, we seek provisions to strengthen enforcement and maintain forward progress on key laws and programs that directly impact animals.
Here are the priorities we scored for 2026.
Farm Bill
When the House Farm Bill came to the floor in April, we urged a no vote because it contained a provision to nullify state and local farm animal welfare laws in California and other states. That provision mirrors the controversial Save Our Bacon Act (H.R. 4673), Big Pork’s attempt to wipe out laws banning the sale of products from animals kept in such extreme confinement that they’re unable to turn around and move freely. A diverse coalition of over 7,200 organizations and individuals has publicly opposed these attacks on state and local agricultural laws, including more than 5,300 farms and 1,200 veterinary professionals.
Animal Welfare Regulation and Enforcement
We support intelligent and well-coordinated regulation and enforcement concerning animal welfare. in this regard, the Better Collaboration, Accountability, and Regulatory Enforcement (CARE) for Animals Act (S. 1538/H.R. 3112) is one of the most constructive proposals to emerge in decades. Its purpose is to strengthen pathways of collaboration between the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and authorize the DOJ to use additional tools (license revocations, civil penalties and the seizure of suffering animals), to bolster enforcement and deter violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Among other outcomes, it would codify a memorandum of understanding between the USDA and the DOJ to ensure that the DOJ has access to evidence needed to initiate cases, following related report language in prior appropriations measures. This legislation is endorsed by more than 120 national, state and local animal protection groups; rescues; sanctuaries; and law enforcement. We’re scoring co-sponsorship of it for both chambers (it’s the only bill we’re scoring for the Senate in the 119th Congress), and it currently has 40 co-sponsors in the Senate and 206 in the House.
Puppy Mills
The Puppy Protection Act (H.R. 2253) addresses poor practices and standards concerning the treatment of tens of thousands of breeding dogs and puppies in USDA licensed large-scale dog breeding facilities (puppy mills). The bill would prohibit the use of stacked cages and gridded or wire cage flooring, require space for exercise, ensure protection from extreme heat and cold, require prompt veterinary care for illness or injury, and compel breeders to take steps to find suitable homes for retired breeding dogs rather than killing them. This bill currently has 217 co-sponsors in the House.
Horse Slaughter
The Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act (H.R. 1661) would prohibit the reopening of horse slaughter plants in the U.S. and the export of American horses to slaughter for human consumption. Horse slaughter is inherently cruel due to the unique biology of horses, and more than 80% of Americans oppose it. Horses destined for slaughter are shipped long distances without food, water or rest in crowded trucks and are often seriously injured in transit. This predatory industry doesn’t “euthanize” old, sick horses; young and healthy horses are purchased, often by buyers misrepresenting their intentions, and killed for the overseas horsemeat market. The bill currently has 236 co-sponsors in the House.
USDA and FDA Animal Welfare Programs
To score here, a House member needed to be one of the 194 who signed a request letter in March 2026 to the appropriations subcommittee that funds the USDA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These letters sought provisions in the fiscal year 2027 funding bill for enforcement of the AWA, Horse Protection Act, Humane Methods of Slaughter Act and federal animal fighting law, as well as for programs to promote alternatives to animal testing, to provide shelter for domestic violence survivors with pets through a grant program, and to encourage veterinarians to locate in underserved areas. These letters included requests to cover companion animal care along with farm animal care in the veterinary incentive program and to prevent the USDA from issuing or renewing AWA licenses for exhibitors that conduct overnight travel with elephants. Given the intensity of attacks against California’s Proposition 12 and other laws, the letters also requested that no provisions be included attacking state and local farm animal welfare laws.
Shuttering Horse Slaughter Plants in the U.S.
Representatives scored positively for being among the 154 who supported a group letter to the appropriations subcommittee that funds the USDA and FDA requesting a “defund” provision in the FY 2027 funding bill. This letter called for permanently prohibiting funds to the USDA to inspect horse slaughter plants and thus prevent such plants from ever operating in the U.S.
Congressional Animal Protection Caucus Membership
Once again, we’re scoring membership in the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, one of the largest bipartisan caucuses on the Hill, with more than 165 members at the current time.
Leader
A ✓ indicates that the member earned extra credit for taking critical action to benefit animals, such as by leading as a prime sponsor of pro-animal legislation we endorsed (including items not scored in this chart). Senators also earned extra credit for supporting any of three specific appropriations letters. The letters sought provisions mirroring those discussed above regarding USDA and FDA animal welfare programs, attacks on state and local farm animal welfare laws, and horse slaughter “defund.” A « indicates that the member earned double extra credit for taking two or more of these actions, leading a requested sign-on letter to a federal agency or congressional committee, or leading on a top priority issue counted in this scorecard.
Even as this congressional session winds down, we continue to seek additional co-sponsors for the above-referenced bills. A strong finish in 2026 will serve the animals well in 2027. Please help us by taking a close look at the record, taking action to press your legislators for support, and letting us know if you get a response. Your engagement makes the scorecard so much more valuable for promoting animal protection at the federal level, and we’re deeply grateful to you.
