Effective Federal Legislation Needed to Improve Animal Welfare
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
Congress ought to pass a farm bill that improves animal welfare, not undermines it. The current House Farm Bill contains a provision that could overturn state laws designed to protect animals from inhumane practices; it would allow the sale of certain products from animals kept in extreme confinement.
This version of the Farm Bill disregards the wishes of millions of voters, jeopardizes years of progress toward a more humane food system and puts family farmers at an even greater disadvantage against industrial agriculture.
According to recent polling, more than 90 percent of Americans believe animals raised for food deserve to be free from abuse and cruelty. We need a farm bill that reflects these values and includes other popular, common-sense animal protection measures such as Goldie’s Act and the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act, which cracks down on puppy mill cruelty and ends horse slaughter, respectively.
Fortunately, it’s not too late to turn things around. When the House’s Farm Bill reaches the floor for a vote, I urge my representative, Congressman Mike Lawler, to reject any version of the Farm Bill that strips states of their power to enforce animal welfare laws and to fight for a bill that includes Goldie’s Act and the SAFE Act.
Andrea Eisenberg
Mount Kisco
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