Capitol Hill Update: Government Shutdown and Power Shift Impact on Wild Horses

January 8, 2019... It has been a momentous few weeks in Washington, DC, particularly in Congress, where Nancy Pelosi has taken over as Speaker, and Democrats now control the House of Representatives. Additionally, the President and Congress have been unable to agree on spending bills for Fiscal Year 2019, which began on October 1, 2018, affecting various federal agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and other offices responsible for the Wild Horse and Burro Act. Unlike past government shutdowns, this partial closure of unfunded agencies is unlikely to be resolved quickly and, according to our representatives in Washington, could continue for a month or longer. Adding to the tumult, Secretary Ryan Zinke has resigned as the head of the Interior Department under an ethics cloud. Unfortunately, this may be an 'out of the frying pan, into the fire' situation for wild horses, as it is unlikely that a new permanent secretary or Acting Secretary David Bernhardt will improve on Zinke's position, which was, as we all know, atrocious.

Positive Aspects Amidst the Shutdown

There are a few small positives in this current shutdown. The BLM and the US Forest Service are unable to conduct roundups, and wild horses and burros in holding facilities are still being cared for. Deadlines for public comments on various proposed actions related to federally-protected wild horses and burros may be extended. Another upside is that we believe Rep. Chris Stewart’s (R-UT) amendment to sterilize tens of thousands of horses is unlikely to be included in any bill that funds the Interior and reopens the government. To pass, any bill will need Democratic support in the House and 60 votes in the Senate, which, for the time being, slaughter and mass surgical sterilization of wild horses do not have. The American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) is looking at 2019 as an opportunity to go on offense and expand and strengthen wild horse protections.

Building on a Winning Coalition

We will build on the winning coalition in the Senate, led by Chairwoman Murkowski (R-AK) on the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, and Chairman Graham (R-SC) and Ranking Member Udall (D-NM), who have consistently protected wild horses and burros, along with some of the new Senators. In the House, the shift in power to the Democrats puts us on better footing to defeat attempts to lift wild horse and burro slaughter bans and authorize other destructive practices. In the coming weeks, we’ll work with new Members on both sides of the aisle who are likely to be key allies as committee assignments are finalized by Leadership. We will continue to rely on our current champions like Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), the new chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, to help educate new Representatives on her committee about the importance and beauty of wild horses across the West.

Your Role in Protecting Wild Horses

One thing is certain: we couldn’t convince anyone in Congress to protect wild horses without your help and direct participation. We need your help driving grassroots activism and contacting Members of Congress to insist they protect horses. We also need your help to ensure we have people on the Hill to hold Congress’s feet to the fire every week of the year. Please consider protecting our magnificent mustangs as a part of your regular giving in 2019—only together can we ensure wild horses continue to roam the western range for generations to come.