Senate Committee Comes Through on Animal Welfare Funding

Though the work is far from done, this is shaping up to be a very encouraging year for animals on the appropriations front. We already reported on the House Appropriations Committee’s approval of solid funding levels to support USDA’s enforcement of key animal welfare laws, as well as its inclusion of much-needed language to stop horse slaughter plants from operating in the U.S.

Horse Slaughter Plants Permitted to Open

The Obama Administration today sharply disappointed HSLF and other animal advocates by informally releasing word of its plans to allow operations for the first horse slaughter plants to open in the U.S. since 2007. The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans today to announce it has granted permission for a horse slaughter plant to open in New Mexico, and it will make similar announcements for plants in Iowa and Missouri on Monday.

Not So Fast, Horse Slaughter Crowd

Today, the House Appropriations Committee marked up its agriculture spending bill for Fiscal Year 2014, and it included much good news for animals. Most notably, the committee approved by voice vote an amendment offered by Reps. Jim Moran, D-Va., and Bill Young, R-Fla., to forbid spending by USDA on inspections of horse slaughter plants on American soil.  The Senate should follow suit.

Take Action: Tell Congress to Reject Radical Amendment to the Farm Bill

The Senate will likely conclude its consideration of the Farm Bill next week, and the House is likely to take up its Farm Bill within the next couple weeks, with a number of important animal welfare issues hanging in the balance. As the Bakersfield Californian wrote in an editorial today, lawmakers “should take a long, hard look at an amendment by Rep.