Don't Let the Farm Bill Undermine Animal Welfare Priorities
Dear John,
On May 23, the US House Committee on Agriculture approved H.R. 8467, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024, more commonly called the Farm Bill, the primary vehicle for implementing food and agriculture policy in the United States. It includes one of AWI's highest priorities--reauthorizing the Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance Grant Program (i.e., PAWS), which provides funds to domestic violence service providers and others so that they can better assist survivors who have companion animals.
However, the Farm Bill still represents a huge missed opportunity to eliminate the severe public health threats of COVID-19 and avian flu outbreaks on mink farms, cut tax dollar waste, and seek redress for unimaginable animal suffering. AWI strongly opposes language that rewards the biggest industry offenders, including nullifying state animal protection laws that prohibit the sale of animal products produced from cruelly confined animals. Moreover, we object to changing the law governing live dog imports into the United States in a way that hinders rescue organizations' efforts to save dogs from horrible conditions in other countries.
We're also disappointed in the bill's failure to include many vital and commonsense provisions that would benefit animal welfare, such as a prohibition on the slaughter of horses for human consumption.