Equines, Farm Animals, Pets & Cruelty, Federal Legislation, In the News /
The King amendment is dead—for now—with House failure of Farm Bill
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to kill the highly controversial Farm Bill. Although it contained some positive provisions for animals, on balance we called for the bill’s defeat because it contained an extremely sweeping and harmful provision—the “Protect Interstate Commerce Act” (H.R. 4879) inserted in committee by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa). This radical federal overreach could nullify hundreds of state and local laws pertaining to agriculture products, including laws to restrict farm animal confinement, ban the slaughter of horses, and crack down on puppy mills.
Equines, Farm Animals, Pets & Cruelty, Ballot Measures, Federal Legislation, In the News /
House Ag Committee votes to keep dogs and cats off the menu but obliterates states’ ability to protect animals
Today's blog post is guest written by Humane Society Legislative Fund's new president, Sara Amundson.
Today, the U.S. House Agriculture Committee passed the 2018 Farm Bill on a straight party-line vote, and now the bill advances for a vote by the full House of Representatives.
Federal Legislation, In the News /
Recognizing Humane Legislators on Capitol Hill
Last night, the Humane Society Legislative Fund and The Humane Society of the United States co-hosted the annual Congressional Humane Awards to honor a bipartisan group of lawmakers who led the way for animals during the last year. Dozens of Senators and Representatives plus staff members from additional offices (and some charming office dogs) attended the event in the U.S. Capitol to celebrate the federal lawmakers who are working to make the world a better place for animals.
Animals in Research, Equines, Farm Animals, Wildlife, Federal Legislation, In the News /
Horses, wolves, other animals win big in omnibus bill
For almost six months, Congress has delayed passing the 2018 budget to fund the government. Finally, the negotiations have ended. Congress and the White House have struck a deal, and late last night released a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill, just 52 hours before a government shutdown deadline.
Animals in Research, Equines, Wildlife, Federal Legislation, In the News /
President’s budget a mixed bag for animals
Yesterday, the White House released President Trump’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2019, which continues the trend of spending cuts for some animal welfare programs. For example, two agencies that oversee animal protection are slated again for deep budget reductions—the Department of Interior by 17 percent and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by 20 percent.
Animals in Research, Equines, Farm Animals, Pets & Cruelty, Wildlife, Federal Legislation /
The 2017 congressional year in review for animals
As we begin the second session of the 115th Congress, let’s take a moment to look back at the highs and lows from the first session. While there were several bright spots, the new Administration and Congress produced a particularly dangerous set of challenges for animal welfare in 2017. The general governing philosophy of deregulation—put into practice at the departments of Agriculture and Interior and also in Congress—resulted in the targeting or outright repeal of a series of immensely important animal welfare reforms.
Pets & Cruelty, Federal Legislation /
Bipartisan bills introduced in Congress to crack down on puppy mill abuse
There is a massive divide between how dogs in most American homes live versus how dogs in the nation’s thousands large-scale, commercial breeding facilities, known as puppy mills, live. Breeding dogs are treated like production machines, and can spend their entire lives in small, stacked, wire cages, often without veterinary care, exercise, socialization, or meaningful human interaction. Many of these inhumane facilities still meet the meager, bare minimum requirements outlined under the federal Animal Welfare Act regulations.
Uncategorized /
Greyhound racing is a bad bet in Florida
For most Americans, dogs are loving companions and family members. But there’s a small and dying industry, hanging on by a thread, that crams dogs into cages for most of their lives, and forces them to run on tracks for entertainment and gambling, sustaining broken bones, heart attacks, drug overdoses, and other injuries.
Animals in Research, Equines, Pets & Cruelty, Wildlife, Elections, Federal Legislation /
Are your lawmakers making the grade on our interim report card?
Today, the Humane Society Legislative Fund releases its preview version of the 2017 Humane Scorecard for the first session of the 115th Congress. The Humane Scorecard is a snapshot of each federal legislator’s votes on key matters that affect the lives and well-being of animals, along with their efforts to help animals through cosponsorship of priority bills and support for adequate funding of animal welfare enforcement, as well as extra credit for pro-animal leadership.
Pets & Cruelty, In the News, State Legislation /
Upgrading anti-cruelty laws across the country in 2017
Our movement has made so much progress over the last three decades in closing the gaps in the legal framework for animal cruelty. In the mid-1980’s, only four states had felony penalties for malicious cruelty to animals, only a dozen had felony dogfighting, and several states still allowed legal cockfighting.
Wildlife, Federal Legislation /
House committee takes aim at endangered species
In recent months, dozens of Republican lawmakers in the U.S. Congress, particularly in the U.S. House of Representatives, have been waging a hot war on wildlife. Last week the House voted to repeal restrictions on baiting of grizzly bears, killing of wolf pups in their dens, and other extreme trophy hunting methods on National Park Service lands in Alaska.
Wildlife, Federal Legislation /
Senate committee passes harmful anti-wildlife bill
While the U.S. Senate was largely occupied yesterday with the health care debate, one of its committees quietly passed an awful bill that puts wolves, eagles, and other migratory birds at risk, while giving a sweetheart deal to polar bear trophy hunters. The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works passed the innocuous sounding “Hunting Heritage and Environmental Legacy Preservation (HELP) for Wildlife Act,” S. 1514, by a vote of 14 to 7.
