Will Vice President Kamala Harris advocate for animals and the planet? The answer is clear.
For animal advocates and environmentalists, the past four years of the Trump administration have been devastating. It felt like a day didn’t pass during which Trump wasn’t deregulating corporate polluters, ending a ban on commercial fishing in protected waters, signing an executive order repealing a hunting ban, or gaslighting people suffering from forest fires, hurricanes, and floods. Given Trump’s dismal record on animal rights and the environment, it has always been a mystery how anyone who cares about animals or the planet could support him.
While most elected Democrats fail to sufficiently address industrial animal agriculture, most of them support legislation that favors other animals. They also passionately embrace policies that mitigate climate change, which affects aquatic and wildlife, and animals warehoused for food since they also die in fires and floods caused by climate disasters.
Fortunately, animal advocates and environmentalists have a powerful supporter in the White House in Kamala Harris. Harris has an extremely favorable record on animal rights issues from her time as a prosecutor and U.S. Senator. She has also represented California, the state with the strongest animal rights and climate change policies in the country, so she comes to the White House familiar with the issues.
Here’s what we know about Harris’ record thus far.
Animal Agriculture
Harris defended challenges to animal welfare laws that provide for the more humane treatment of animals slaughtered for food. In 2020, Harris stated that the United States needs to examine its food system and consider the impact of meat on the planet. She added that she would support changing the USDA’s dietary guidelines to better reflect healthier choices. Harris also co-sponsored the bill that aimed to prevent slaughterhouses from increasing meat processing speeds, supported legislation to ban shark fin trading, and defended California’s foie gras ban.
Climate Change
Harris favors rejoining the Paris Climate Accord. She has advocated passionately for reducing carbon emissions and holding fossil fuel companies accountable. She also supports moving the United States to sustainable energy, defended fuel efficiency requirements, and fought rollbacks on carbon pollution. She opposed the TPP because it didn’t raise environmental standards.
Aquatic and Wildlife
Harris has been a leading advocate for wildlife conservation and habitat protection, including the Endangered Species Act. She also supported legislation to reduce wildlife trafficking.
Dogs
Harris has fought against puppy mills and worked to improve dogs’ living conditions. She advocated for federal funding for companion dogs for veterans with PTSD.
Vivisection and Animal Testing
Harris supported USDA inspectors in research labs, opposed testing on animals, and suggested alternative methods to determine the safety of products.
Horses
Harris supported legislation to reduce horse abuse and end racehorse doping.
Animal Fighting
Harris co-sponsored legislation that would expedite finding homes for animals rescued or seized from animal fighting operations and hold criminals legally and financially responsible for placing them in safe homes.
Unlike Donald Trump, who appointed oil and hunting lobbyists to head the EPA and Department of Interior and then gutted protections for animals, land, water, and air, Biden and Harris will appoint the country’s foremost experts to cabinet positions. These will be smart and experienced professionals who have spent their careers advocating for policies consistent with the agencies’ mission statements.
Harris has a strong track record of supporting humane legislation, opposing the abuse of animals, and protecting the planet. Animal rights and environmental advocates should celebrate that they have a vice president who will champion these causes.
Kirschner's Korner 
So delightful to learn of this. Thank you
This is an important issue to me. Thanks for collecting the information.
Thrilled about this. Finally, someone in the White House who will fight animal abuse and hopefully end factory farming.
I didn’t know this – thank you! Another reason to feel grateful this week 🙂
Awesome!!!
Get on with it Kamala! Your animal citizens need you so much..
I’d like to think the election of her and Biden will result in the reduction of intensive farming but alas unless Americans craving for animal bodyparts is greatly reduced , the only way farmers and supermarkets can keep meat prices down is with more and more of these intensive animal hells.
People need to know what goes on behind closed doors. It is a well kept secret by the ag world and the secrecy needs to stop. People don’t know how neat gets on their plate and I believe if they did, many would make different choices. The advocates that are exposing the cruelty of factory farms are making a good start. It’s their voices that influenced me to go vegetarian and then finally vegan. I thank God for the difficult but important job they are doing to bring the truth out in the open no matter how horrible it is.
She is wonderful! The animals need more people like her to survive.
WAIT! What about cozying up to China where dogs and cats are tortured in the most horrendous ways, to boost their adrenaline for the idiotic belief that the more the suffering, the better for men’s Lobito. Dogs & cats are boiled alive, blow torched alive, hung alive, barbecued alive, beaten alive till their insides are pulp, skinned alive, crucified alive, butchered alive and more, all while ALIVE. President Trump was well on the way to breaking ties with China and their dog & cat eating culture. Millions of Americans are fighting to end the Chinese Dog Cat Meat Trade DCMT and President Trump was well on the way to helping . Under the Biden Harris administration, animal abuse in China will never end. You say “Well we have to take care of our own animals” but those dogs and cats in China are suffering unspeakable cruelty.
It saddens me to the core.
What makes you believe that under the Biden administration this will never end? Give it some time! They’ve only been in office a week.
He had four years to make a difference with a compliant senate. It’s someone else’s turn. Get over it and get on board. We need everyone to work toward common goals to help the animals, the planet, and ourselves.
I’m aware of Ms Harris record on animal welfare from having been a resident of California. I’m a strong animal advocate and vegan so I’m beyond overjoyed to have this vital return to compassion in our Whitehouse. Thank you to Kamala Harris for all her hard work in this area. ❤️
I didn’t know this! How amazing