Farm Bill Passes
Massive Subsidies for Factory Farms, Animal Protection Excluded

The Farm Bill passed Congress, and the President has vowed to sign it into law. This terrible bill was opposed by environmental and animal protection groups for subsidizing large factory farms instead of conservation measures, and for excluding measures to help animals.

Among the measures eliminated in backroom deals was a provision already passed by both houses of Congress to protect injured farm animals ("downers"), and a measure supported by large majorities in both houses to limit the amount of subsidies for factory farms. The Farm Bill includes a provision requiring airlines to ship baby chicks as ordinary mail packages instead of as live animals, resulting in high death rates from rough handling, overheating, freezing, crushing, and so on. Other harmful measures are even worse.

For all who contacted the legislators in support of the good measures, the support in Congress you helped generate will continue to help legislation to address the problems of factory farms when it comes up in the future. Shady backroom deals will not protect polluters and animal abusers forever. Let's continue working to pressure Congress until these problems are a thing of the past.