Tenure: 118th–119th Congresses
Years of Service: 2023–Present
After being tapped by fellow Democrats in her second term to be the top Democrat on the wildlife subcommittee of House Committee on Natural Resources, Rep. Val Hoyle has quickly established herself as one of the House’s leading advocates for wildlife protection, including by speaking out on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plan to slaughter 450,000 North American barred owls at a potential cost of $1.35 billion to the U.S. Treasury. More broadly, she’s been a pro-animal policymaker across nearly every major area of animal protection policy, including horse protection, organized animal fighting, and farm-animal welfare. Rather than limiting her role to supporting legislation introduced by others, Hoyle has taken the initiative to lead major federal reforms designed to prevent animal cruelty. Her leadership is especially significant as a lawmaker from the West with a massive congressional district comprising substantial national forests and other public lands. Her work demonstrates that strong wildlife conservation and responsible stewardship of public lands are fully compatible with communities whose economies depend on natural resources.
Hoyle’s signature legislative leadership action is her introduction of the Snowmobiles Aren’t Weapons (SAW) Act, legislation she introduced as the Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries to end one of the cruelest forms of predator persecution in the United States. The bill would prohibit the deliberate use of snowmobiles and other motor vehicles to chase down and kill wolves and other mammals on federal lands—a practice that has drawn widespread condemnation from wildlife biologists, sportsmen, conservationists, and animal-protection organizations. By leading this legislation, Hoyle has placed herself at the forefront of congressional efforts to ensure that wildlife management reflects principles of fair chase, humane treatment, and responsible stewardship of America’s public lands.
Her commitment to science-based wildlife policy is also reflected in her opposition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s unprecedented plan to kill hundreds of thousands of native barred owls across the Pacific Northwest. Hoyle joined bipartisan lawmakers urging the Department of the Interior to suspend the program, recognizing that the large-scale destruction of a native raptor raises profound ecological, ethical, and fiscal concerns. Her willingness to question this controversial federal plan is particularly significant given that Oregon’s Fourth Congressional District includes some of the nation’s most heavily forested landscapes, where debates over timber production, endangered species, and wildlife management are especially relevant and consequential.
Her leadership extends well beyond wildlife. Hoyle has been an early supporter of many of Congress’s highest animal-protection priorities, including the SAFE Act to permanently end the horse-slaughter pipeline. She also cast a crucial vote on the Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure on an amendment to the surface transportation bill to halt shipments of horses for slaughter to Canada or Mexico (that amendment passed by a narrow margin of 34 – 30). She’s also been focused on combatting illegal animal fighting, after seeing a case of a cockfighter in Lane County involved in human trafficking. Hoyle has cosponsored both the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act to strengthen federal enforcement against organized animal fighting and the No Flight, No Fight Act to crack down on the smuggling of fighting birds through commercial airlines—an enforcement gap that has allowed organized criminal networks to traffic birds for illegal cockfighting despite longstanding federal prohibitions. She has also cosponsored the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act to end the abuse of Tennessee Walking Horses and the Puppy Protection Act. Together, these initiatives demonstrate a broad commitment to combating cruelty affecting companion animals, horses, wildlife, and farm animals while strengthening federal enforcement against some of the nation’s most persistent forms of animal abuse.
Her voting record has been equally consistent. Hoyle opposed legislation to strip Endangered Species Act protections from gray wolves, voted against efforts to prevent federal agencies from regulating toxic lead ammunition and fishing tackle that poison wildlife, rejected attempts to weaken the Greyhound Protection Act through a West Virginia exemption, opposed Farm Bill provisions overturning state farm-animal welfare laws, and voted against proposals weakening Endangered Species Act protections on military lands. She also supported advancing SAFE Act provisions to permanently prohibit horse-slaughter exports and ban dangerous double-decker horse trailers.
Although still early in her congressional career, Val Hoyle has already distinguished herself through legislative leadership, principled advocacy for wildlife conservation, and a willingness to champion difficult animal-protection issues. As committee leader on the House Natural Resources Committee, she has become an influential voice for humane and science-based wildlife policy while building one of the strongest overall records on animal protection in the House of Representatives.
Notable Actions
119th Congress
✅ 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 Snowmobiles Aren’t Weapons (SAW) Act, H.R. 6864, to prohibit any person from intentionally using a motor vehicle to run over or kill wolves and other mammals on federal lands.
✅ 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 the Better CARE for Animals Act, H.R. 3112, to strengthen enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act by expanding federal authority to investigate and prosecute animal cruelty violations and improve coordination between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Justice.
✅ Signed the bipartisan congressional letter opposing the large-scale killing of barred owls.
✅ 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.
✅ 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.
✅ 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 187–237. 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 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.
✅ 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.
✅ Cosponsor of the Better CARE for Animals Act, H.R. 5041, to strengthen enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act by expanding federal authority to investigate and prosecute animal cruelty violations and improve coordination between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Justice.
✅ 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.