While negotiations broke down last week and the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee failed to advance the federal Farm Bill, there is some positive news for animals to celebrate—and it’s because your phone calls, emails, and advocacy are making a difference.
New Mexico’s own U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján, who serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee, filed an amendment to the Farm Bill that would prohibit the export of American horses to Mexico and Canada for slaughter. We are incredibly grateful for Sen. Luján’s leadership on this important issue. His amendment sends a strong message that American horses deserve protection from the cruel and dangerous slaughter pipeline, regardless of where those slaughterhouses operate.
This is especially important for New Mexico, where thousands of horses live—and where advocates, rescue organizations, law enforcement, and communities are working every day to protect vulnerable and at-risk equines. Preventing the export of American horses for slaughter is an important step toward ensuring that horses who can no longer be cared for are given a chance at humane rescue and rehabilitation rather than being transported long distances to slaughter.
There’s more good news. Despite the looming possibility that harmful language could be offered during the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Farm Bill negotiations, there was no attempt to attach the so-called “Save Our Bacon Act” to the Senate bill last week.
The “Save Our Bacon Act” would undermine states’ authority to pass and enforce their own laws protecting animals, public health, and consumers. It could jeopardize state laws that set humane standards for how animals are raised and how products from animals raised under those standards can be sold. Although similar language was included in the House version of the Farm Bill, advocates have so far succeeded in keeping it out of the Senate version. And Sen. Luján has been one of the Senators committed to opposing this dangerous provision and protecting New Mexico’s right to set and enforce its own animal protection laws.
That’s why we’re asking you to take a moment to thank Sen. Luján for standing up for animals and for states’ rights to pass humane legislation.
Please thank Sen. Ben Ray Luján today!
You can:
- Call his Capitol office: (505) 230-7040
- Send a written message: Sen. Luján’s contact form
You can simply tell him:
Thank you for fighting to protect American horses from slaughter and for opposing the ‘Save Our Bacon Act.’ I appreciate your leadership in protecting animals and preserving New Mexico’s right to pass and enforce its own animal protection laws.”
The fight isn’t over.
The Senate Agriculture Committee is expected to take up the Farm Bill again in September following the August recess. That means animal advocates will have another opportunity—and an important responsibility—to make our voices heard. Get ready to re-engage with your members of Congress, urging them to support the amendment to ban the export of American horses for slaughter and reject any attempt to add “Save Our Bacon Act” language to the Farm Bill.
Thank you to everyone who has made a call, sent an email, contacted your Members of Congress, shared an action alert, or otherwise spoken up for animals. Your advocacy matters—and together, we are helping make sure that animal protection remains part of the Farm Bill conversation. Let’s keep going!
