On Thursday, Aug. 5, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry will mark-up Committee Chairman Senator John Boozman’s (R-AR) draft text for his proposed Farm Bill. Importantly, after tireless advocacy by the Sportsmen’s Alliance, its members and affiliates, and strong Congressional leadership, anti-hunting language that was amended into the House Farm Bill previously was removed and is absent from the Senate draft.

However, the attacks from animal extremists continue, and at least three animal-rights amendments have been offered for committee consideration at tomorrow’s hearing, it’s vital that the committee-approved Farm Bill does not include anti-hunting or extreme animal-rights language.

To ensure a clean Farm Bill, use the Take Action button to ask the Senate Agriculture Committee to opposes these proposed amendments:

CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION

The Greyhound Protection Act

The Greyhound Protection Act of 2025 (H.R. 5017) was amended into the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (Farm Bill) in mid-March. That bill, backed by animal-rights extremist Wayne Pacelle, goes so far as to impact everyone who hunts with a dog – from bird dogs to scent hounds – by banning the use of live-animals in training. Ultimately, efforts by the Sportsmen’s Alliance, our members, and a coalition of our partners, fixed the anti-hunting concerns of the amendment, but the prohibition on greyhound racing remains.

• Bottom Line: The greyhound racing ban has been offered for amendment into the Senate version of the Farm Bill. While the anti-hunting language is not present, the amendment could still greatly impact breed lineages used in open-field coursing throughout the country.

The FIGHT Act

The Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-risk Trafficking Act of 2025 (FIGHT Act, S. 1454) is deceptively crafted to appear to address inhumane dog and cock fighting. However, the bill goes much further. It creates a private citizen right of action utilized by animal-rights extremists to sue livestock owners (and receive attorney’s fees), calls for draconian asset forfeiture and property seizure, and places barnyard animals (roosters) under the purview of the Animal Welfare Act.

• Bottom Line: Ultimately, the amendment provides nothing more than a slippery slope for the animal-rights movement to gain momentum to apply the same restrictions on the hunting, wildlife management, and agricultural communities.

The SAFE Act

The Save America’s Forgotten Equines Act of 2025 (SAFE Act, S. 775) would affect both the small market for sales of privately-owned horses and worsen the huge problem of controlling feral horses on federal public land. The Bureau of Land Management estimates the population of wild horses and burros across the federal estate is over three times the Appropriate Management Level. The ecological impact is devastating – rangelands and riparian areas are degraded, forage and water resources depleted, and native wildlife are displaced.

• Bottom Line: The SAFE Act permanently enshrines incredibly burdensome management restrictions, perpetuating and exacerbating the crisis on America’s rangelands.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION

The Senate Ag Committee will adopt some variant of the draft tomorrow, and it’s vital that the committee-approved Farm Bill does not include anti-hunting or animal-rights language. The committee bill will then go to the full Senate, and upon passage, leadership in both the House and Senate will reconcile each chamber’s version to pass a final, unified Farm Bill. The Sportsmen’s Alliance will continue to work with both chambers to ensure that the passage of a much-needed Farm Bill does not include anti-hunting or extreme animal-rights language.

As sportsmen, we are the true frontline guardians of a lifestyle that is increasingly coming under political fire. While we are actively funding conservation and managing the land, anti-sportsmen groups are busy filling public hearings to erase our way of life. The threats we face today are unprecedented. It is time for our community to stand together, match their energy, and fiercely protect our right to hunt, fish, and trap. This is how we ensure the legacy we inherited is preserved for our children, grandchildren, and generations to come. Read more

Safari Club International (SCI) expressed its disappointment after an objection by Senator Cory Booker prevented the Senate from advancing an effort to remove gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and return management authority to the states.

Gray wolf recovery represents one of the nation’s greatest conservation success stories. After decades of conservation efforts, wolf populations have far exceeded recovery goals. Thousands of wolves now inhabit the lower 48 states and connect with healthy populations throughout Canada and Alaska. But despite this remarkable recovery, gray wolves remain listed under the ESA, largely due to years of litigation that have repeatedly overturned science-based delisting decisions.

“The science is clear: gray wolves have recovered,” said SCI CEO W. Laird Hamberlin. “It is deeply disappointing that efforts to restore state management were blocked despite overwhelming evidence that recovery goals have been achieved and exceeded.”

As wolf populations continue to expand, wildlife managers, ranchers, and rural communities are facing growing challenges. Livestock depredation, increased conflicts with domestic animals, and declining big game populations in some regions have placed significant burdens on local communities and state wildlife agencies. In parts of the West, expanding wolf populations have contributed to substantial declines in elk and other ungulate herds, reducing hunting opportunities and impacting local economies. Read more

The Farm Bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation considered by the U.S. Congress. It contains funding and sets policy on items ranging from conservation programs valued by American sportsmen to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits that help feed low-income families.

Unfortunately, thanks to significant pressure from the animal-rights lobby, the Farm Bill just approved by the House Committee on Agriculture also includes a hunting ban. Committee Democrats teamed up with a handful of Republican legislators to amend the Farm Bill by inserting House Resolution 5017, the Greyhound Protection Act of 2025 – a bill that had no chance of advancing on its own.

H.R. 5017 would ban certain types of hounds in hunting, as well as the use of “live lures” for training or field trials. While H.R. 5017 was completely portrayed by the sponsor and supporters as only focused on ending commercial greyhound racing, the language is much more broadly written and would ban the use of sight hounds in hunting. Additionally, the language included in H.R. 5017 could go so far to impact anyone that hunts with bird dogs or scent hounds by banning the use of live animals in dog training. Amendment supporters never told Committee members of the broader impacts of the bill.

Animal rights extremists, with the help of members of the House Agriculture Committee, inserted the controversial language into the Farm Bill by voice vote, despite concerns expressed by Committee Chairman GT Thompson, with no public debate or an opportunity for American hunters or houndsmen to be heard in the process. The extremists know the public is counting on passage of the Farm Bill, so they are hoping Congress will allow the anti-hunting language to remain in the bill rather than derail the huge and vital legislation.

All is not final, however. The Farm Bill will now head to the House Rules Committee, before being voted on by the full House of Representatives. Read more