Tenure: 115th–119th Congresses
Years of Service: 2017–Present
Rep. Salud Carbajal has emerged as one of Congress’s most effective champions for animal protection, pairing an exceptionally strong voting record while also taking the reins and leading on some of the highest priority animal protection issues. He’s been the leader of two measures – the Kangaroo Protection Act and the Greyhound Protection Act. His larger body of work spans companion animals, horses, wildlife, animal fighting, farm-animal welfare, and the modernization of biomedical research, making him one of the House’s most consistently engaged advocates for animals.
Carbajal’s signature achievement has been his leadership of the Greyhound Protection Act. As the bill’s lead sponsor, and a member of the House Agriculture Committee, he offered his bill as an amendment to the Farm bill in the 119th Congress, passing the amendment on a contested voice vote. The measure would end commercial dog racing nationwide, prohibit Americans from wagering on foreign greyhound races, and stop the export of American greyhounds for racing overseas. When the Farm bill came to the House floor, Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.V., offered an amendment to exempt West Virginia, which is the only remaining state with dog-racing tracks. Carbajal took to the floor in opposition and engineered its defeat by a comfortable margin, with 28 Republicans siding with him on the issue. His leadership represents the most significant congressional advance ever achieved in the decades-long effort to end commercial greyhound racing in the United States.
Carbajal has also been a leader in the fight against organized animal fighting and the criminal enterprises that sustain it. In addition to cosponsoring the bipartisan FIGHT Act, he was an original cosponsor of the No Flight, No Fight Act, legislation designed to shut down the commercial airline trafficking of fighting birds from the United States to foreign cockfighting derbies. The measure was introduced after investigators uncovered an illegal bird-smuggling network operating through Dallas that shipped fighting birds on commercial passenger airlines to the Philippines. By targeting a critical transportation link in the international cockfighting trade, the legislation strengthens federal enforcement against an industry closely associated with organized crime, illegal gambling, narcotics trafficking, and extreme animal cruelty.
His leadership extends well beyond those signature initiatives. Carbajal has been an original or early supporter of many of Congress’s leading animal-protection measures, including the SAFE Act to end the horse-slaughter pipeline, the Animal Cruelty Enforcement (ACE) Act, Goldie’s Act, the Puppy Protection Act, the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, and legislation promoting non-animal research methods. He also supported House passage of the FDA Modernization Act 3.0. He further reinforced his commitment to horse protection by voting in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in favor of the bipartisan Van Drew–Titus amendment to incorporate key provisions of the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act into the Build America 250 Act.
In an earlier Congress, he led the bipartisan Kangaroo Protection Act, which would have prohibited the commercial importation and interstate sale of kangaroos and kangaroo products in the United States, reflecting his longstanding commitment to protecting wildlife from commercial exploitation. The presence of that legislation played a role in convincing all global athletic shoe brands, by the end of 2025, to eliminate or phase out the sourcing of kangaroo skins for their soccer shoes. At the 2026 World Cup, only one player among 1246 players from 48 national teams wore kangaroo-skin shoes, signaling an extraordinary shift away from the skins of wildlife killed for that global marketplace. He also cosponsored the MINKS are Superspreaders Act, legislation to phase out mink farming because of the industry’s documented role in the transmission and mutation of COVID-19 and other zoonotic diseases.
Carbajal has consistently defended state authority to enact stronger animal-welfare protections. He signed congressional letters opposing the EATS Act and the Save Our Bacon Act because they would override voter-approved humane farming laws such as California’s Proposition 12. He likewise urged the National Institutes of Health to accelerate the transition toward more ethical and scientifically advanced alternatives to non-human primate research.
Carbajal’s voting record has been solid in other categories of animal protection work. He opposed legislation to strip Endangered Species Act protections from gray wolves, voted against efforts to prevent federal agencies from regulating toxic lead ammunition that poisons wildlife, rejected attempts to weaken the Greyhound Protection Act, and opposed the House Farm Bill because it contained provisions overturning state farm-animal welfare laws. These votes reflect a consistent commitment to science-based wildlife conservation, stronger anti-cruelty protections, and respect for state authority to enact humane standards.
Rep. Salud Carbajal has established himself as one of the House’s leading Democratic voices for animal protection. Through sustained legislative leadership, coalition building, and an exceptionally broad record of support across nearly every major area of federal animal-protection policy, he has helped secure historic progress on issues ranging from ending commercial greyhound racing and combating organized animal fighting to protecting horses, advancing alternatives to animal testing, and strengthening farm-animal welfare. Few members of Congress have matched the breadth of his engagement or his success in translating humane priorities into meaningful legislative action.
Notable Actions
119th Congress
✅ Lead sponsor of the Greyhound Protection Act, H.R. 5017, to phase out U.S. greyhound racing, a practice long in decline and operational at just two tracks.
✅ Cosponsor of the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act, H.R. 1661, to ban U.S.-based horse slaughter and the export of horses for slaughter for human consumption.
✅ Cosponsor of the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act, H.R. 3946, to strengthen federal enforcement against animal fighting and related criminal activity.
✅ Cosponsor of the No Flight, No Fight Act, H.R. 7371, to stop the smuggling of fighting birds via commercial airlines—an illicit practice that has gone largely unenforced since Congress prohibited the interstate and foreign transport of fighting birds in 2002.
✅ Cosponsor of the Animal Cruelty Enforcement (ACE) Act, H.R. 1477, to establish a dedicated DOJ unit to investigate and prosecute animal cruelty crimes.
✅ Cosponsor of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, H.R. 1684, to strengthen enforcement against the cruel practice of soring horses. The bill would ban devices associated with soring, require independent USDA-trained inspectors, increase penalties for violations, and strengthen the Horse Protection Act to better protect Tennessee Walking Horses and other affected breeds from intentional abuse.
✅ Cosponsor of the Puppy Protection Act, H.R. 2253, bipartisan legislation to strengthen federal standards of care for dogs kept by commercial breeders by improving requirements for housing, veterinary care, exercise, socialization, and humane breeding practices.
✅ Cosponsor of Goldie’s Act, H.R. 349, bipartisan legislation to strengthen enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act by requiring more frequent inspections, faster reporting of violations, and improved protections for animals suffering abuse or neglect.
✅ Signed congressional letter opposing the SOB Act that would erode states’ rights, undermine family farmers, and expand foreign influence over U.S. food production
✅ Signed a congressional letter opposing the EATS/SOB Act that would erode states’ rights, undermine family farmers, and expand foreign influence over U.S. food production.
✅ Signed a bipartisan letter to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director, urging the agency to redirect federal funds currently allocated for non-human primate (NHP) research centers toward more ethical and cost-effective uses.
✅ Voted “Aye” on the Van Drew–Titus Amendment (Recorded Vote No. 98-pg. 46) to H.R. 8870 (Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Vote), to incorporate key provisions of the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act into the Build America 250 Act. The bipartisan amendment would permanently prohibit the export of American horses to Canada, Mexico, or other countries for slaughter for human consumption and ban the use of dangerous double-decker trailers to transport horses. The amendment was adopted by a 34–30 vote. An “Aye” vote is the pro-animal position because it advanced legislation to end the slaughter pipeline for American horses.
✅ Voted “Nay” on House Agriculture Committee Record Vote No. 24, opposing Rep. Tracey Mann’s second-degree amendment to Rep. Shri Thanedar’s Amendment No. 119 during markup of the 2026 Farm Bill. The Mann amendment stripped away nearly all of the bipartisan FIGHT Act’s enforcement provisions—including measures targeting the trafficking and shipment of fighting birds, expanded civil enforcement authority, and other tools to combat organized animal fighting—leaving primarily language related to gambling on animal fighting. The committee adopted the amendment by a 29–22 vote. A “Nay” vote is the pro-animal position because it sought to preserve the FIGHT Act’s comprehensive enforcement tools to combat organized animal fighting and related criminal activity.
✅ Supported House passage of the FDA Modernization Act 3.0, H.R. 2821, which passed by voice vote under suspension of the rules on July 20, 2026. The bipartisan legislation directs the FDA to update its regulations to fully implement the 2022 law allowing scientifically valid non-animal methods to be used instead of animal testing in drug development.
✅ Voted “Nay” 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 vote.
✅ Voted “Nay” 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 the Riley Moore Amendment to H.R. 7567 (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 187–239. 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 154), 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 “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 200–228. 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
✅ Cosponsor of the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act, H.R. 2742, to strengthen federal enforcement against animal fighting and related criminal activity.
✅ Cosponsor of the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act, H.R. 3475, to ban U.S.-based horse slaughter and the export of horses for slaughter for human consumption.
✅ Lead sponsor of the Greyhound Protection Act, H.R. 3894, to phase out U.S. greyhound racing, a practice long in decline and operational at just two tracks
✅ Cosponsor of the Puppy Protection Act, H.R. 1624, bipartisan legislation to strengthen federal standards of care for dogs kept by commercial breeders by improving requirements for housing, veterinary care, exercise, socialization, and humane breeding practices.
✅ Cosponsor of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, H.R. 3090, bipartisan legislation to strengthen enforcement against the cruel practice of soring horses. The bill would ban devices associated with soring, require independent USDA-trained inspectors, increase penalties for violations, and strengthen the Horse Protection Act to better protect Tennessee Walking Horses and other affected breeds from intentional abuse.
✅ Signed a bipartisan letter opposing the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, H.R. 4417. The lawmakers warned that the bill would nullify state agriculture and animal-welfare laws, including California’s Prop 12 and Massachusetts’ Question 3, and could broadly undermine more than 1,000 state laws while targeting modest consumer demand for more humanely raised pork.
✅ Voted “Nay” 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.
✅ Voted “Nay” 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.
117th Congress
✅ Cosponsor of the Big Cat Public Safety Act, H.R. 263, to prohibit private ownership and breeding of lions, tigers, and other big cats while restricting public contact with these dangerous wild animals. The bill was designed to curb the exploitation of big cats in roadside zoos and cub-petting operations, improve animal welfare, and enhance public safety by limiting private possession of these species.
✅ Cosponsor of the FDA Modernization Act, H.R. 2565, bipartisan legislation to end the outdated federal presumption that new drugs must rely on animal testing before human clinical trials. The measure authorized the FDA to accept scientifically valid non-animal testing methods—including organ-on-a-chip technology, cell-based assays, and computer modeling—when appropriate. Core provisions of this legislation were later enacted as part of the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, signed into law in December 2022, marking a landmark reform that advanced more human-relevant research methods while reducing unnecessary animal testing.
✅ Cosponsor of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, H.R. 5441, to strengthen enforcement of the Horse Protection Act and help 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.”
✅ Cosponsor of the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, H.R. 2811, to end the U.S. commercial trade in shark fins by prohibiting their sale, purchase, and transport, helping reduce the global demand that drives the cruel practice of shark finning. Core provisions of the bill were later incorporated into the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, which was signed into law in December 2022, making the United States one of the world’s largest nations to ban the domestic shark fin trade.
✅ Lead sponsor of the Kangaroo Protection Act, H.R. 917, to prohibit the commercial importation and interstate sale of kangaroos and kangaroo products in the United States.
✅ Cosponsor of the MINKS are Superspreaders Act, H.R. 4310, to phase out mink farming because of the industry’s documented role in the transmission and mutation of COVID-19 and other zoonotic diseases.
✅ Supported passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety (HISA) Act, H.R. 1754, to improve the integrity and safety of horse racing in the United States by creating uniform national standards for anti-doping, medication control, and racetrack safety
✅ Voted “Aye” on the motion to suspend the rules and pass the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, H.R. 5441 (House Roll Call Vote 478). The bill would strengthen enforcement of the Horse Protection Act and help end the cruel practice of “soring” Tennessee Walking Horses, Racking Horses, and Spotted Saddle Horses. The motion was agreed to by a vote of 304–111. An “Aye” vote is the pro-animal position.
✅ Voted “Aye” on the Big Cat Public Safety Act, H.R. 263 (House Roll Call Vote 415), to end the private possession and commercial breeding of lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, cougars, and other big cats while prohibiting public contact with these animals. An “Aye” vote is the pro-animal position.
116th Congress
✅ Cosponsor of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety (HISA) Act, H.R. 1754, to improve the integrity and safety of horse racing in the United States by creating uniform national standards for anti-doping, medication control, and racetrack safety
✅ Cosponsor of the Big Cat Public Safety Act, H.R. 1380, to prohibit private ownership and breeding of lions, tigers, and other big cats while restricting public contact with these dangerous wild animals. The bill was designed to curb the exploitation of big cats in roadside zoos and cub-petting operations, improve animal welfare, and enhance public safety by limiting private possession of these species.
✅ Voted “Aye” on H.R. 1380 – Big Cat Public Safety Act (House Roll Call Vote 232), legislation to prohibit private ownership and breeding of lions, tigers, and other big cats while restricting public contact with these dangerous wild animals. The House passed the bill 272–114. An “Aye” vote is the pro-animal position.
✅ Voted “Aye” on the Stevens Amendment (House Roll Call Vote 373) to the FY2020 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, allocating $2 million to create an Animal Cruelty section within the Department of Justice. An “Aye” vote is the pro-animal position because it supports stronger federal enforcement of existing animal protection laws.
✅ Voted “Aye” on the Buchanan Amendment (House Roll Call Vote 380) to the FY2020 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, prohibiting the Department of the Interior from issuing import permits for trophies of threatened elephant and lions from Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. An “Aye” vote is the pro-animal position because it supports stronger protections for threatened wildlife by restricting the import of hunting trophies.
115th Congress
✅ Cosponsor of the Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act, H.R. 1406, bipartisan legislation to prohibit the slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption and ban the sale, transport, possession, and trade of dogs, cats, and their parts for that purpose. The bill established federal criminal penalties to ensure the United States maintains a clear prohibition on the dog and cat meat trade.
✅ Cosponsor of the Humane Cosmetics Act, H.R. 2790, bipartisan legislation to phase out animal testing for cosmetics and prohibit the sale of cosmetics developed or manufactured using new animal testing. The bill encouraged the use of modern, non-animal testing methods while helping align U.S. policy with the growing international movement to end cosmetic testing on animals.
✅ Voted “Nay” on H.J. Res. 69, a Congressional Review Act resolution (House Roll Call Vote 98) to overturn an Obama administration rule protecting wildlife on National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska. A “Nay” vote is the pro-animal position because it sought to preserve safeguards against some of the cruelest and most unsporting predator-killing practices on federal refuge lands.
✅ Voted “Aye” on the Roskam–Blumenauer Amendment (House Roll Call Vote 202), to H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, to strengthen the federal animal fighting law by clarifying that its prohibitions apply throughout all U.S. territories. An “Aye” vote is the pro-animal position because it strengthened federal protections against organized animal fighting.