By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson

Yesterday, the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced its version of the Fiscal Year 2022 Agriculture Appropriations bill following the House passage of its version last week. The Senate bill and accompanying committee report contain some important highlights for animals, notably for enforcement of laws including the Animal Welfare Act, Horse Protection Act and the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.

Today’s approval of H.R. 4502, a package of appropriations bills funding key federal agencies, offers dramatic evidence of the success we’ve achieved through our laser-like focus on the federal budgeting process.

One of our primary responsibilities as a leading voice for animals in the nation’s capital is to influence congressional deliberations concerning the annual budgets for federal agencies where animal welfare is in play. We’re off to an outstanding start for 2022! This week, the House Appropriations Committee approved a number of our priority requests in its Fiscal Year 2022 bills covering the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, State, Interior and other agencies.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

Update 7/1/2021: The INVEST in America Act (H.R. 3684) has passed out of the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 221 to 201. We urge the Senate to include the House amendments in their version of the bill and pass it swiftly in order to make these historic wins for animals law!

The surface transportation bill—the INVEST in America Act (H.R. 3684)—which is part of Congress’ infrastructure package is set to include a number of good animal protection measures. Two of the most important focus on the welfare of horses and wildlife whose fate are shaped by our transportation systems and practices. Amendment #187 would outlaw the transport of America’s equines to slaughter for human consumption, while amendment #41 would authorize a national wildlife corridors system to mitigate habitat fragmentation and wildlife-vehicle collisions.