By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

In the U.S., the State of the Union address gives the president an opportunity to speak to a joint session of Congress about the nation’s condition, sharing legislative and regulatory proposals and communicating and reinforcing priorities. In recent years, we’ve used this time to spell out our own priorities and to reflect upon the U.S. government’s performance on animal protection issues.

It’s my privilege to share our Humane Scorecard for the first session of the 119th Congress. The scorecard tracks key co-sponsorships, votes and other animal-friendly actions by federal lawmakers. It’s an accountability tool we use to cultivate greater awareness among legislators as well as incentives for their future commitment. Please look to see how your senators and congressional representative scored; the scorecard is something you can share with others who care about animals, too.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

There’s some good news for animals in the funding packages for the U.S. Department of Interior and the U.S. Department of Justice that passed the Senate last week and were just signed into law.

These wins are the result of animal advocates—both us and our allies—who never wavered in the view that the protection of animals matters, and that it’s something that the American people want. Here are the animal welfare wins in the FY2026 funding packages:

Gray wolves and grizzly bears saved

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

Today, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency recommitted to a previously stated goal to end testing on dogs, rats, mice, rabbits and other mammals by 2035. This move has the potential to replace tests on tens of thousands of animals with non-animal methods that are better for both humans and animals.