When it comes to appropriations—the annual multi-layered system Congress uses to allocate funding and provide direction for federal agencies—we’re driven, because it’s one of the most valuable channels for securing animal protection gains. This is particularly true for the USDA-FDA appropriations bill, which governs spending for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, two agencies with critical influence over the fate of animals.
STATEMENT: Canceled congressional vote on ESA Amendments Act is a ‘clarion call’
Earth Day reversal signals growing resistance to legislation that would undermine federal wildlife protections
WASHINGTON (April 22, 2026)—Humane World Action Fund, formerly called Humane Society Legislative Fund, shared a significant update regarding the ESA Amendments Act. Republican leadership has officially pulled the bill from the House floor and postponed today's scheduled vote after it became clear there was sufficient opposition to prevent its passage.
Sara Amundson, president, Humane World for Animals Action Fund, said:
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
The Endangered Species Act, a landmark law for the protection of wildlife, is under attack. In late March, the Trump administration convened the federal Endangered Species Committee for only the fourth time in its nearly 50-year history. Under the law, the Committee has the extraordinary power to grant case-by-case exemptions to the protections of the Endangered Species Act— in essence, the authority to decide that a project should be allowed to proceed despite jeopardizing the very existence of an endangered species.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
U.S. House passes bill allowing toxic lead ammunition and tackle, raising health risks for animals and people
Legislation undermines science-based safeguards for more than 130 species poisoned by products of hunting and fishing on federal lands
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
California’s Proposition 12, Massachusetts’ Question 3 and the other state-level laws that have simultaneously enhanced public health and animal welfare in the United States represent the agricultural market of the future, and perhaps more importantly, the moral progress of the nation. Industrial agriculture’s cruel crating of pigs and caging of laying hens are giving way—inexorably—to more humane approaches that will better serve and sustain family farms, public health and the social and cultural integrity of rural communities.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
Bears’ lives caught in government ping pong match
Proposed federal rule seeks to roll back critical wildlife protections and allow cruel ‘bear baiting’ in Alaska’s national parks once again
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
Making this world better and brighter for animals involves vital collaboration with people in the halls of power making legislation and shaping policy. In the U.S., we work on bringing people together—regardless of party affiliation—to advance compassionate legislation that makes a real difference for animals.
