With the help of advocates like you, we have continued to fight to protect animals and support higher-welfare farmers. Earlier this year, we identified key priorities to include in the 2023 Farm Bill [PDF]—massive legislation that dictates how our food and farm systems operate and how federal funding is distributed—and we have worked tirelessly to ensure those provisions are included in the bill. 

Unfortunately, Congress is well behind schedule on the 2023 Farm Bill, and on September 30, the current Farm Bill expired.

With the Farm Bill expired, now what?

While Congress passed a short-term measure to temporarily fund the government, the Farm Bill remains expired without an extension of its own. Some programs covered in the current Farm Bill will soon run out of funding while others will revert to funding levels set in previous Farm Bills. It is likely this will create confusion and financial problems for farmers, but it could also throw parts of our food system into chaos.

With all eyes focused on the overall federal budget, the sudden leadership vacuum in the House of Representatives, and the 45-day extension to keep the government open, we anticipate initial drafts of the Farm Bill may not be released by the House or the Senate until November. This means work may not begin on final drafts of the Farm Bill until December or early 2024, causing an even bigger delay in the process to pass the Farm Bill. 

On the bright side, this delay gives us ADDITIONAL TIME to urge Congress to draft a more humane Farm Bill! We will continue to fight for animals and higher-welfare farmers, but we still need your help. 

Take action today!

Together, we can advocate for farm animals, farmers and a more humane food system. Here’s what you can do TODAY:

1. Contact your elected officials with our easy online form and let them know what they should focus on in the Farm Bill to help build a more humane and resilient food system. With over a trillion dollars in federal spending over the next 10 years at stake, we must create a Farm Bill that stops perpetuating the cruel status quo responsible for so much animal and human suffering and damage to our planet.  
2. Speak out against the dangerous EATS Act by signing the Defeat Eats petition. The Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act is a bill that seeks to repeal more than 1,000 existing state and local laws protecting farm animals, farm workers, consumers and the environment—all to increase profits for Big Ag. After you’ve signed the petition, share why we must defeat EATS on your social media accounts using the hashtag #defeatEATS!

We won’t stop fighting for change and we hope you won’t, either!