As the first session of the 114th Congress wound down at the end of 2015, a massive $1.1 trillion bill funding government operations through September 30, 2016, passed and was signed by the president. AWI worked to protect key animal protection measures in the bill, including $80 million to combat wildlife poaching and trafficking; language defunding horse slaughter plant inspections by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)—without which, such plants cannot operate in interstate commerce; a prohibition on sending federally protected wild horses to slaughter; a prohibition on funding the issuing or renewal of licenses to Class B dealers who sell random source dogs and cats for experimentation; and a restriction on funding to the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service until it improves policies and procedures at its facilities conducting animal research.
On the downside, the bill included a detrimental rider aimed at undermining wildlife protections for sage grouse. However, an attempt to severely impede the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s ability to crack down on the illegal ivory trade failed, as did an attempt to remove gray wolves from the ESA and allow more wolf populations to be hunted and trapped for sport.