Captive stallion after last day of Humbolt that has lost an eye

There is a vote in the House scheduled December 17 on a $1.4 Trillion dollar spending bill the Boston Globe states, “backed by the denizens of Washington’s swamp of lobbyists and interest groups.”  

UPDATE 12 noon 12/17. The House passed the $1.4 trillion dollar Appropriations bill. It now heads to the Senate. We will update as we hear more. 

The House of Representatives will vote on this massive gift to industry Tuesday, after consolidated language was released publicly at 5 o’clock on Monday afternoon. (Language of the bill at the bottom of the page)

There is an internet rumor that Congress passed this bill  on 12/16. Congress (House of Representatives) votes tomorrow.

The text of the nearly $1.4 trillion spending deal, a combined 2,300-plus pages, was released today. This bill contains multiple controversial provisions.

“The damage done by those seeking a slice of the pie, instead of ethical actions to protect wild horses and the taxpayer, is immense. Both the House and Senate bill are the product of lobby interests, not informed debate. It is not a surprise that any consolidated bill is based on the interests of industry.” Laura Leigh, Wild Horse Education President. “The entire bill, not only wild horses, is a gift to lobbyists. However, it has not passed just yet.”

There are NO provisions that protect against large scale (unjustified) removals, spaying, sterilized herds. There are no provisions to address long standing fictional premises, address data deficits, or any other measure that would actually fix root causes of the broken program.

The portion of the bill that deals with wild horses all but ignores that the BLM Report has not been released except to negate it’s importance and minimize it to a “shopping list” for “aggressive fertility control.” The bill contains no measure that ensures funding will not include spaying or sterilization (the National Academy of Sciences states this is not an appropriate procedure for wild horses). The additional funding will increase rapid removals and destroy the wild, running the broken program into collapse, setting the stage for open sales to slaughter and large scale euthanasia as early as the budget debate for 2021.

The bill does not release additional funding until BLM releases it’s report (we thank all of you for taking that action. We did not get all we asked for, but we did create one more chance to stop the madness created by huge corporate lobby groups).

Congress has attached a stipulation on additional funds, focusing the definitions around “aggressive fertility control.” (note: Expect us to go into overdrive when the report is released, holding Congress to full scrutiny of the report. The fight is not over.)

Congress has not taken corruption at the Interior Department seriously in favor of big lobby groups looking for a piece of the taxpayer dollar and exploitation of public lands. This is still a major concern that we all must continue to address.

We urge you to call your Reps in the House and voice your opposition to the entire bill. While our country is dealing with Impeachment hearings, investigations into multiple cabinet members for Ethics violations, rampant abuse of power (not only in the Interior Dept.) we should not be making any changes, anywhere, until we can appropriately address all of them with informed and open debate.

“This bill sets the stage for carnage on and off the range. We will continue the fight against corporate self-interest and continue exposing the truth. The fall-out from this pay-to-play legislative session is not the end of battle for wild horses and wild places. BLM will face scrutiny when the report is released and the additional funding is dependent on that report. We are ready to provide scrutiny.” ~ Laura Leigh

Please note that no new funding will be released until BLM releases a report. Language in the bill does define that as an “aggressive” population suppression measure, not an assertive accountability program to fix flaws first and foremost. We WILL hold Congress to accountable actions to scrutinize carefully any justification for additional removals and any method of fertility control. Even if this passes, we still have another chance to stop the intentions.

The fight is not over.

You can find your reps at http://GovTrack.us

We want to thank ALL of you that took our action item during this debate. WHE could not compete with all the “million dollar groups” and their lobbyists. But if you read the actual language, YOU helped create an additional condition on the funding. When that report comes out? YOU helped create the battleground to take the fight for sanity forward. If the bill passes, we will still get the opportunity to put BLM under a microscope.

Please note in the language below that YOU also helped build CAWP. WHE is the only org to ever litigate abuse and was the driving force behind creation of that policy. YOU made that possible. Strategic action, documentation, litigation aimed at policy change (not just a press release), is possible because of YOU. This language makes our legal actions against abuse even stronger. We continue that fight. 

Language for wild horses in the Department of Interior budget: the bill contains a total appropriation of $101,555,000, of which $21,000,000 shall not be available for obligation until 60 days after the Bureau submits a comprehensive and detailed plan for an aggressive, non-lethal population control strategy. For purposes of the plan to be submitted, the directives expressed by the House and Senate in House Report 116-100 and Senate Report 116-123, respectively, shall prevail, particularly with respect to strict compliance with the Bureau’s Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program. ln addition, the plan shall also include no less than five consecutive years of detailed expenditure estimates beginning with fiscal year 2020. The plan shall also include a thorough discussion of the Bureau’s proposed management of the logistical details of the strategy, including but not limited to: (1) the number of individuals currently assigned and actively working in the program and the number of additional personnel needed to implement the strategy; (2) the resources (including personnel and equipment) currently available for animal gathers and the increases needed in those resources to substantially increase the number of animals gathered for removal to achieve appropriate management levels; (3) the number of all short-term and long-term holding facilities currently under contract (including their current holding capacity and when those contracts expire), and an estimate of the number of additional facilities that will be needed and the Bureau’s strategy to obtain those facilities, and; ( 4) the amount of fertility control resources currently available, the additional resources anticipated to be needed and the plan for obtaining those resources, and the plan for administering those resources, all focused on implementing a strategy aimed at minimizing future removals and maximizing treatment and retreatment of on-range animals to maintain appropriate management levels. Finally, the Bureau shall brief the Committees upon submission of the report, and quarterly thereafter.

You can read more about the lobby groups that include the extremist Public Lands Council, HSUS, etc HERE.

We are still addressing the underlying issues that involve extraordinary corruption including our complaint against BLM Chief William Perry Pendley. 

Contact your House and Senate Reps.. Tell them what you think. http://GovTrack.us

~~~~~

Our CAWP team has reported in from the North Hills roundup today. You can see updates HERE.

Our teams are working hard in the field, building on our record, to continue the fight. The fight is not over.