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.
A bipartisan group of 62 House members—led by U.S. Reps. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., and Grace Meng, D-N.Y.—sent a letter to the Obama Administration urging it to revise a proposed federal rule that could undermine state bans on buying or selling shark fins.
The Chicago Tribune weighed in with an editorial this weekend on the Obama Administration’s latest in a series of proposals to strip recovering gray wolves of their federal protections—leaving the fate of wolves to the blood lust of hostile state politicians and trophy hunting and ranching interests.
The Obama Administration today sharply disappointed HSLF and other animal advocates by announcing 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 today granted permission for a horse slaughter plant to open in New Mexico, and says it plans to grant similar requests to plants in Iowa and Missouri as well.
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.
The House of Representatives today shot down the $940-billion Farm Bill, by a vote of 195 to 234.
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.
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.
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.
The animals lost a true champion in Congress today, and The HSUS and HSLF lost a great friend, with the passing of five-term U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., who was the Senate’s oldest member at 89.
