Update On Senate Farm Bill Amendments

After countless days of debate and argument, final consideration of the
Farm bill this year was blocked by Senate Republicans. This leaves this
major bill, with huge implications for animals, pending when Congress
returns from its holiday recess in late January. The anti-cockfighting,
downed animal, and humane slaughter provisions are included in the bill,
and it will take a major effort by opponents of these provisions to remove
them or weaken them. On Wed., before the Senate put the bill aside, the
Senate defeated a Hutchinson substitute Farm bill that would have gutted
the animal protection provisions in the bill passed by the Agriculture
Committee. A number of other major issues will have to be resolved when
the Senate returns.

The HSUS and The Fund support the following amendments:

1. The SANTORUM-DURBIN AMENDMENT ON PUPPY MILLS – to impose socialization
   requirements and limits on the frequency of breeding on commercial dog
   breeding operations.

2. The WELLSTONE AMENDMENT ON CAFOs – to restrict taxpayer subsidies for
   huge factory farms, also known as Confined Animal Feedlot Operations
   (CAFOs).

We are fighting:

1. The HELMS AMENDMENT ON BIRDS, RATS & MICE – to deny Animal Welfare Act
   protections to these animals that constitute 95% of all animals used in
   research.

2. The HUTCHINSON-LINCOLN AMENDMENT ON MIGRATORY BIRDS – to allow USDA's
   Wildlife Services program to kill migratory birds without regard for the
   protections of NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) and the Migratory
   Bird Treaty Act.

3. The MURKOWSKI AMENDMENT ON FUR – to use taxpayer dollars to subsidize
   the promotion of wild-caught fur products, under the Foreign Market
   Development Cooperator Program. This is similar to the mink subsidy
   program that Congress overwhelmingly voted to terminate in 1995.
   Stay tuned to for more Farm Bill action in the New Year!

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