Nineteenth Century German chancellor Otto von Bismarck famously compared the making of laws to the making of sausages. Today, the vegan lobby has been hard at work trying to influence how the legislative sausage is made on Capitol Hill.

On Capitol Hill, money talks. And lobbying records show that radical animal rights groups have spent millions of dollars in recent years building their influence in Congress.

Since the 2020 cycle, animal rights groups have spent $3.6 million dollars on lobbying and federal candidates. And the trend is going in the wrong direction for supporters of animal agriculture.

In 2020, the two major animal rights lobby groups spent about $1.2 million on federal campaigns. In 2022, they spent about $2 million. And 2022 was not even a presidential election year, when spending is typically higher.

So far this year, these groups show no sign of slowing down. And it’s only July; political spending typically intensifies in the fall, when primaries are over and it’s general election season.

Their lobbying on legislation has also been significant over the past few years. Lobbying records show animal rights groups spent $2.3 million on lobbying in 2021; $3.8 million in 2022; and $1.7 million in 2023.

What is problematic is their agenda. These groups have a very radical worldview. They oppose animal agriculture and want to shut down family farms. But their agenda also hurts consumers who are left with grocery bills inflated by their proposals.

With the Farm Bill, which is still in limbo, animal activists have been working to insert a slew of measures harmful to agriculture, such as a national ban and phase-out of large-scale animal feeding operations. Top of their agenda with the Farm Bill is preventing any language that would override California Prop 12, which bans the sale of conventionally produced and veterinary-approved pork. A patchwork of state laws that expands to other protein categories, including bans on meat sales, is key to their strategy of attacking animal agriculture.

Who are the major players?

One is a recognizable name to Meatingplace readers: The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the lobbying arm of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The CEO of HSUS is a former lawyer for PETA–the “meat is murder” group. That should tell you all you need to know.

The second major player is Animal Wellness Action, formed in 2018 by the former CEO of HSUS, Wayne Pacelle, after he resigned from HSUS following sexual harassment allegations. While the scandal may have hurt his reputation in the press, Pacelle continues to work the halls of Congress.

Animal rights groups are not limiting their influence efforts to one side of the aisle. While their personal politics generally lean left, they are spending lots of resources in an effort to influence conservative members. They’ve spent nearly $1 million to support Republicans since 2020. That’s why you can find Pacelle taking his photo with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) or Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) sponsoring a bill to ban individual maternity pens for sows nationwide.

They also attempt to camouflage their activism. A former Humane Society and Animal Wellness lobbyist named Marty Irby, who claims to be a Trump-loving Republican, has been working to deceive MAGA members of Congress to support California Prop 12, despite the measure being a gross government overreach by the state of California to target America’s family farmers. This is the same guy who was ousted from FreedomWorks after the group became aware of his history.

Speaking of states, animal rights activists are expanding their presence there, too. The Humane Society Legislative Fund has formed political action committees in a number of states including Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, and Texas.

Animal rights activists are in a long-term crusade against animal agriculture. HSUS and other groups have pension plans coupled with a messiah complex. This is their life’s mission.

The only way to defeat them will be for farmers and ranchers to adopt the same mindset and go on offense. Farmers and ranchers should expose these groups for who they really are and make sure their elected officials don’t fall for vegan baloney.

Animal Rights Extremists Splash the Cash in Congress

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