Years of Service: 2009–Present
Tenure: 117th-119th Congresses
Rep. Andrew Garbarino, chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, has emerged as one of the Republican leaders on animal protection in Congress. Representing a portion of Long Island, he’s fighting the attempt by fellow GOP lawmakers to overturning Prop 12 and Question 3, and he’s also leading in the effort to nix the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s barred owl kill plan, which is favored by the Interior Department. In doing so, he’s confronting GOP committee chairs, and that’s significant given that he’s a party leader and a chair of a powerful committee himself.
His animal protection work is anchored in areas that traditionally attract bipartisan support – animal cruelty enforcement, animal fighting, horse slaughter, and commercial greyhound racing – while also extending into more complex policy debates such as animal testing reform and farm animal welfare.
Garbarino has been a consistent supporter of stronger federal enforcement tools. His cosponsorship of the Animal Cruelty Enforcement Act reflects a law-and-order approach to animal protection, treating organized cruelty and animal fighting as serious criminal enterprises. This aligns with his support for the FIGHT Act, which targets animal fighting networks often linked to broader illegal activity. This policy area potentially intersects with his leadership of the Homeland Security Committee given that animal fighting and other forms of malicious cruelty are tied in with social violence and organized crime.
He has also backed long-standing humane priorities, including the SAFE Act to end the export of American horses for slaughter and the Greyhound Protection Act to phase out commercial dog racing. In June, he signed a letter from GOP lawmakers to urge the President to bar any live exports of horses to Mexico for slaughter.
On health policy issues, Garbarino has supported the FDA Modernization Act 3.0, which aims to reduce reliance on animal testing in drug development by promoting alternative methods. This reflects a growing alignment between animal welfare and innovation-focused policy reform.
Most notably, Garbarino has distinguished himself within his party on farm animal policy and federalism. He has opposed efforts like the “Save Our Bacon Act,” a federal preemption proposal that would override state-level animal welfare laws such as California Proposition 12. Garbarino was one of three Republicans to vote against House passage of the 2026 Farm Bill, which included the language from this bill. By resisting this approach, he has helped defend the ability of states to set their own agricultural standards – an issue with major implications for the future of farm animal welfare policy nationwide.
While he’s clearly one of the GOP leaders on animal welfare, his record on animals is not unblemished. He’s supported wolf delisting and barred federal public land agencies from restricting highly toxic and widely dispersed lead ammunition in the environment. But, as mentioned, he’s fought GOP colleagues on some especially important animal protection policies.
Taken together, Garbarino’s record reflects consistent engagement, ideological flexibility and strategic value. While not a primary architect of landmark legislation, he’s one of the go-to leaders on animal protection. He is, without question, in the top-tier of pro-animal GOP lawmakers, particularly in areas where bipartisan cooperation and intra-party persuasion are essential.
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Notable Actions
119th Congress
✅ Cosponsor of the Animal Cruelty Enforcement Act – Establishes a dedicated DOJ unit to investigate and prosecute animal cruelty crimes.
✅ Cosponsor of the FIGHT Act and No Fight, No Flight Act – Strengthens federal enforcement against animal fighting and related criminal activity.
✅ Cosponsor of the SAFE Act – Prohibits the export of American horses for slaughter.
✅ Cosponsor of the Greyhound Protection Act – Phases out commercial greyhound racing in the United States, though he surprisingly voted for a Farm bill amendment to weaken the GPA.
✅ Cosponsor of the FDA Modernization Act 3.0 – Advances alternatives to animal testing in drug development.
✅ Opposed the “Save Our Bacon Act” / EATS-style preemption – Defended state authority to enact animal welfare standards like Proposition 12.
✅ Led a GOP congressional letter opposing the large-scale killing of barred owls.
❌ Voted “Aye” on H.R. 556, the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act (House Roll Call Vote 93),to prohibit federal land management agencies from restricting the use of toxic lead ammunition and fishing tackle on public lands and waters to protect wildlife from poisoning. The bill passed the House 215–202. A “Nay” vote is the pro-animal position.
❌ Voted “Aye” on H.R. 845, the Pet and Livestock Protection Act (House Roll Call Vote 360), to remove federal Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves across much of the United States and restricted judicial review of future wolf management decisions. The bill passed the House 211–204. A “Nay” vote is the pro-animal position.
✅ Voted “Nay” on H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act (House Roll Call Vote 151), to pass the Farm Bill, which included a provision to overturn state laws in California and Massachusetts restricting in-state sales of fresh pork sourced from farms that do not provide minimum space requirements for the housing of pregnant pigs. The bill passed the House 224–200. A “Nay” vote is the pro-animal position.
❌ Voted “Aye” on (House Roll Call Vote 149), on the Moore Amendment (House Roll Call Vote 149) to weaken the Farm Bill’s Greyhound Protection Act provisions by creating a special exemption allowing commercial greyhound racing to continue in West Virginia indefinitely. The House rejected the amendment 237–178. A “Nay” vote is the pro-animal position.
✅ Voted “Nay” on the Biggs Amendment to H.R. 3838 (House Roll Call Vote 259), to exempt defense-related activities from the requirements of the Endangered Species Act, eliminating protections for endangered and threatened species and their critical habitat on military lands and during defense operations. The House rejected the amendment 228–200. A “Nay” vote is the pro-animal position.
✅ Voted “Nay” on the Greene Amendment to H.R. 3838 (House Roll Call Vote 254), to prohibit the Department of Defense from using FY2026 funds for the research, development, procurement, or promotion of cell-cultured meat, an emerging alternative to conventional slaughter-based meat production. The House rejected the amendment 194–236, with 1 voting present. A “Nay” vote is the pro-animal position.
118th Congress
❌ Voted “YAY” on H.R. 615 (House Roll Call Vote 167), legislation to bar the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture from prohibiting or regulating the use of toxic lead ammunition and fishing tackle on federal lands and waters made available for hunting or fishing. Lead ammunition and tackle poison wildlife, including eagles, loons, condors, and other animals that ingest spent lead fragments or lost fishing gear. The House passed the bill 214–201. A “Nay” vote is the pro-animal position.
❌ Voted “YAY” on H.R. 764 (House Roll Call Vote 169), legislation to remove federal protections for gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act across most of the United States and return management authority to the states. Wildlife advocates warned that the bill would undermine science-based wildlife management and threaten the long-term recovery of gray wolf populations. The House passed the bill 209–205. A “Nay” vote is the pro-animal position.
117th Congress
✅ Voted “Aye” on the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act (House RollCallVote 478), legislation to strengthen enforcement of the Horse Protection Act and finally end the cruel practice of “soring” Tennessee Walking Horses, Racking Horses, and Spotted Saddle Horses. Soring involves intentionally inflicting severe pain on horses’ legs and hooves through caustic chemicals, chains, pressure devices, or other abusive methods to force an exaggerated, high-stepping gait known as the “Big Lick.” The House passed the bill 333–96. An “Aye” vote is the pro-animal position.