By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson

There are few among us who have not been saddened by the demoralizing sight of animals along our roads who have died in vehicle collisions. For anyone who has had this experience or had the heartbreaking misfortune to be involved in such an accident, there’s great news in the $1.3 trillion infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law a few days ago by President Biden.

Accountability is the watchword of our efforts to secure the passage of animal-friendly federal legislation. We are accountable to our supporters as well as to the animals we seek to defend, and we never forget who we’re working for. This means that we also work continuously to hold elected officials accountable for their track records wherever the interests of animals are concerned.

It’s something we may take for granted, sometimes, but every year is an election year, and one thing animal advocates shouldn’t forget is that every election has profound implications for animals and for the fortunes of the animal welfare movement. Yesterday provided yet another reminder of this, as voters cast their ballots for statewide offices in New Jersey and Virginia, special elections to fill vacancies in the U.S. Congress, and thousands of municipal offices across the nation.

The Democratic leaders on the Senate Committee on Appropriations yesterday released a package of nine appropriations bills funding various federal departments for fiscal year 2022, and it contains some key provisions for animal welfare that we worked hard to secure. These bills haven’t been voted on by the committee; instead, the Senate and House committees will now work to reconcile their respective packages by a December 3 deadline to avoid a federal government shutdown.

Our mission is to end suffering for all animals, most directly by boosting the political power of the humane movement in Washington, DC and in our states. This is just one of the reasons we encourage supporters to cast a ballot in every election. Perhaps because we take a range of concerns into the voting booth, we don’t always appreciate the point, but for animals, our election of the right candidates can be a make-or-break decision.

Subscribe to Blog