One of RTF’s digital billboards at Union Station in Washington, D.C. Photos by Brendan Kownacki. 2023 was the third year of our digital billboard campaign, which has also included signs in New York City, including Times Square, and Las Vegas.

An update on the effort to ban horse slaughter:

Last year, 20,282 American horses were shipped to Mexico or Canada for slaughter – a 1.97% increase. That marked the first increase since 2014, when 145,785 horses were exported to foreign slaughterhouses.

The SAFE Act would permanently ban horse slaughter in the United States as well as the export of American horses for slaughter. The bill has amassed 218 bipartisan cosponsors — a great show of support.

All legislative efforts are facing a tough road this Congress, especially as we head into an unpredictable national election.

Congress has yet to pass all annual federal spending bills that were required by Oct. 1, 2023. The government is operating on short-term extensions that will expire in early March, unless lawmakers approve all appropriations bills or pass another short-term extension.

We are working to have the SAFE Act language included as part of the impending trillion-dollar FARM Bill, which is typically renewed every five years. The deadline for that legislation has been extended until September 2024.

Consideration of the FARM Bill cannot take place until annual appropriations bills are passed and signed into law.

It’s critically important that you continue contacting your members of Congress and urging them to cosponsor the SAFE Act (H.R. 3475 in the House / S. 2037 in the Senate).

TAKE ACTION

Send a letter to your members of Congress here

You can find a list of House cosponsors here. And a list of Senate cosponsors here.

✅ WANT TO DO MORE? If your members of Congress are already cosponsors, please call them at (202) 224-3121. Urge them to express their support with the House and Senate Agriculture Committees for including the SAFE Act in the FARM Bill.