ASPCA Statement on the Good and Bad News for Animals in the House Farm Bill

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture passed its Farm Bill, delivering mixed results for animals. While the Committee approved a bipartisan amendment striking harmful language from the bill that would have removed protections for dogs in puppy mills, they retained a provision that would invalidate existing state and local farm animal welfare laws, and failed to protect the tens of thousands of American horses who are exported for slaughter each year. In response, the ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) issued the following statement:

"The Farm Bill has the power to impact agriculture policy in the United States for decades to come, and the initial House bill included a troubling provision that would have made it even less likely that the USDA would help dogs suffering in puppy mills," said Nancy Perry, senior vice president of Government Relations for the ASPCA. "We are grateful to Representative Zach Nunn for leading efforts to remove this language that would have weakened protections for dogs in puppy mills, and we urge Congress to take this critical opportunity to ensure the final Farm Bill reflects the views of their constituents who want to end animal suffering by protecting dogs, farm animals, and horses."

"While the removal of this harmful provision is good news for dogs, the House Farm Bill also contains language that attacks state protections for farm animals, and fails to address the horse slaughter crisis, putting billions of animals at risk," said Perry. "We urge Congress to remove the so-called "Save Our Bacon" Act language from the bill. Overturning popular, commonsense state animal confinement bans would harm millions of farm animals, undermine states' authority to regulate products sold within their borders, and disadvantage farmers across the country who have already made investments in more humane animal housing systems."

The House Farm Bill will go to the House floor next for consideration. The ASPCA encourages members of the public to contact their U.S. representatives to urge them to reject the provisions in the House Farm Bill that threaten animal welfare and instead pass a more humane Farm Bill that protects animals, people, and the planet. To contact your member of Congress, please visit www.aspca.org/farmbill.