Having support in Washington, D.C., is vital for any industry, but especially the horse industry. Wouldn't it be easy if you had a simple way to see if your Congressional representative is one of those that supported your lifelong passion?
Enter the American Horse Council's Congressional Scorecard.
“It's imperative that horse owners and those active within the industry are familiar with their political representatives—locally and in Congress,” says Julie Broadway, president of the AHC. “We hope that by providing a tool such as the Congressional Scorecard it makes it easier for our members to know who they can look into supporting when election time rolls around.”
The American Horse Council (AHC) regularly identifies legislation that supports the U.S. equine industry. Bills are evaluated that draw consensus among the AHC's diverse membership in issue areas such as federal resources for equine-assisted services, animal welfare issues arising under the Horse Protection Act, labor flexibility, tax reform, public trails access, USDA resources to promote equine programs and others that may emerge as the legislative process moves forward. In addition to the legislation, points are awarded to members of the U.S. Congress who support AHC through their membership in the Congressional Horse Caucus, participate at AHC events and whether they are accessible and responsive to AHC members and staff.
While reviewing the legislative record for the 118th Congress, which has reached the midpoint of its first session, the AHC analyzed pro-industry bills, which is also referred to as “priority legislation,” and identified the bills' congressional champions. From this board list of “champions,” the AHC then assigned points based on a lawmaker's degree of support for priority bills, among other factors. The point system then makes a smaller pool of “industry champions” emerge to inform members of the horse industry which incumbents should be recognized and acknowledged for their support.
The following are the top ranking five members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives:
| SENATE | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
| 1. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia) | 1. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska-2) |
| 2. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) | 2. Rep. Andy Barr (R-Kentucky-6) |
| 3. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) | 3. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-California-19) |
| 4. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) | 4. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pennsylvania-9) |
| 5. Sen. John Brasso (R-Wyoming) | 5. Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minnesota-2) |
Those interested in viewing the Congressional Scorecard can visit the AHC website and look under “Election Center” (https://horsecouncil.org/election-center/congressional-scorecard/).
Because the AHC is bipartisan, party affiliation is not a factor in the scorecard.
“The scorecard reflects those that support bills that help the equine industry, no matter what party they represent,” says Broadway.
Some of the bills from the first half of the 118th Congress include:
- H.R. 1582 – Personal Health Investment Today Act of 2023 (PHIT Act of 2023)
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA-16) - H.R. 3090 – Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2023 (PAST Act of 2023)
Sponsor: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1) - H.R. 1839 – Combating Illicit Xylazine Act
Sponsor: Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19) - H.R. 2927 – Racehorse Tax Parity Act
Sponsor: Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY-6) - H.R. 2296 – Racehorse Cost Recovery Act of 2023
Sponsor: Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY-6) - H.R. 1250 – Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act
Sponsor: Rep. Tracey Mann (R-KS-1) - H.R. 237 – Recognizing the Importance of Stepped-Up Basis under Section 1014 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 in preserving family-owned farms and small businesses
Sponsor: Rep. Tracey Man (R-KS-1) - S. 1108 – Death Tax Repeal Act of 2023
Sponsor: Sen. John Thune (R-SD) - S. 786 – Personal Health Investment Today Act of 2023 (PHIT Act of 2023)
Sponsor: Sen. John Thune (R-SD) - S. 993 – Combating Illicit Xylazine Act
Sponsor: Sen. Catherine Cortez Mastro (D-NV) - S. America's Outdoor Recreation Act of 2023 (serves as an omnibus for related bills, additional co-sponsors will be added)
Sponsor: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV)
For more information, or to see the top ten, visit the AHC website: https://horsecouncil.org/election-center/congressional-scorecard/
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