What’s Happening in Washington: The Fight to Protect Wild Horses

There’s a lot happening in Washington right now and if you’re feeling confused, you’re not alone. Between sweeping legislative proposals, President Trump’s budget, and behind-the-scenes funding decisions in Congress, it can be hard to keep track of what it all means, especially for America’s wild horses and burros. That’s where AWHC comes in. We’re here to break it down and help you understand what’s at stake and how you can make a difference.

The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (H.R. 1): 

What it is: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), named by President Trump, is the U.S. House of Representatives’ budget reconciliation legislation. It is a sweeping tax and spending  bill passed by the House of Representatives on May 22, 2025 by a narrow margin of 215–214–1. The bill is designed to implement various fiscal policies for Fiscal Year 2025 and beyond. The bill touches on immigration, energy, tax cuts, federal regulations, and spending cuts to various programs such as Medicaid. 

Impact on wild horses and burros: While it doesn’t directly mention wild horses, H.R. 1 contains broad provisions to weaken environmental safeguards, streamline development on public lands, and reduce public oversight—factors that could harm wild horse habitat and lead to more removals. It would also reduce the public’s opportunity to weigh in on government actions that impact wild horses and burros. 

What’s next?: As of June 2025, H.R. 1 is currently under consideration in the Senate, where it faces scrutiny and potential amendments before it can be enacted into law. The Senate is working under a tight timeline to deliberate and vote on the bill, aiming to finalize the legislation ahead of the July 4 holiday. 

President’s FY26 Budget:

‍What it is: Each year, the president submits a proposed budget to Congress in the spring for the upcoming fiscal year. While the President’s Budget is not binding, it outlines the administration's fiscal priorities for Congress, including guidance on federal spending, revenue, and borrowing reflecting the president’s policy goals and economic strategies.    

Impact on wild horses and burros: The Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) President’s Budget proposal slashes funding for the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program by 25% and removes long-standing protections against horse slaughter, paving the way for the mass killing of up to 64,000 federally protected wild horses and burros currently in government holding facilities. The budget mirrors the Project 2025 agenda, which calls on Congress to grant BLM authority to “humanely dispose” of federally-protected wild horses and burros.

The proposal also expands the BLM’s ability to transfer wild horses and burros to third parties and removes existing protections against being sold for slaughter. This creates a loophole that would allow third parties to funnel wild horses into the slaughter pipeline—shielding the federal government from direct responsibility while enabling slaughter on a large scale. 

What’s next?: While Congress is not required to adopt the President’s Budget, it often serves as a blueprint for appropriations and reconciliation bills. The omission of anti-slaughter protections from this year’s budget is deeply concerning. If appropriators choose to mirror the President’s proposal, it could open the door to mass killing of wild horses and burros in federal holding facilities.

Appropriations: 

What it is: This is where real funding decisions happen. Congress decides how much money federal agencies actually get. Twelve subcommittees in the House and Senate draft bills to fund parts of the government. The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittees in the House and Senate will write the legislation that includes funding for the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program. 

Impact on wild horses and burros: This year, AWHC led a bipartisan effort to ensure humane management of wild horses and burros in the FY26 Interior-Environment Appropriations bill. Thanks to your support and outreach, 100 members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, signed on to our appropriations letter, calling on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to prohibit funding for dangerous surgical sterilization procedures, ban sales and transfers that could result in slaughter, and expand use of humane, reversible fertility control to reduce removals. This Committee will decide whether to keep the anti-slaughter provision that has been included in nearly every federal appropriations bill for the past 20 years. 

What’s next?: Right now, the House Appropriations Committee is drafting the FY26 Interior bill. Over the coming weeks, committee members will review funding levels and policy directives for the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro Program. Here's how the process will unfold:

1. Markup: Subcommittees and then the full committee will “mark up” (edit and vote on) the bill. 
2. House Markup: The Interior subcommittee and full committee markups are currently scheduled for the week of June 23.
3. House Floor Vote: After the bill passes the full committee, it is sent to the full House for a vote.
4. Senate Markups: Meanwhile, the Senate is working on its own version, and it will follow the same approval process as the House.  
5. Conference Committee: After the Senate passes its bill, a conference committee composed of members from both the House and Senate will meet to reconcile differences between the two versions. 
6. Final Passage: Once a compromise bill (known as a conference report) has been agreed upon, it must be approved by both the House and the Senate before being sent to the President to be signed into law.

We hope this breakdown helps make sense of all the moving pieces in Washington right now. Between the President Trump-endorsed “One Big Beautiful Bill,” his FY26 budget, and the ongoing appropriations process in Congress, there’s a lot happening and a lot at stake for America’s wild horses and burros.

But the good news is: your voice matters. Lawmakers are listening, and with strong public engagement, we can push back against harmful policies and advance humane, science-based management of our nation’s wild horses and burros. 

Here’s what you can do right now:

• Stay informed by following AWHC for real-time updates on legislation and agency actions.
• Take action! It’s time to let your Senators and Representatives know that you want them to stand strong to protect wild horses and burros from slaughter. 
• Support our work so we can continue leading efforts on Capitol Hill, in the courts, and on the ground to protect wild horses and burros.

Together, we can make sure these iconic animals remain wild and free for generations to come.

For more on how the president's budget could impact wild horses, click here.