Washington, D.C.—The American Horse Council (AHC) recently released its 2025 Year‑End Congressional Scorecard, a data‑driven assessment of how members of Congress supported the U.S. equine industry throughout the first session of the 119th Congress. This annual metric evaluates lawmakers on a combination of legislative action, caucus participation and responsiveness to industry priorities.

The Scorecard tracks member engagement across a series of bipartisan, industry‑relevant bills that advanced equine health, workforce development, tax policy, rural veterinary capacity and public lands access.

In addition to legislative sponsorship and co‑sponsorship, the Scorecard incorporates additional factors like membership in the Congressional Horse Caucus and responsiveness to AHC and industry stakeholders.

Top‑ranked members of Congress

To recognize outstanding leadership, the AHC has announced the top 10 representatives and top 10 senators who demonstrated the highest combined scores across all evaluation categories:

Top 16 representatives

1. Rep. Andy Barr (KY)
2. Rep. Ronny Jackson (TX)
3. Rep. Michelle Fischbach (MN)
4. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (WI)
5. Rep. G.T. Thompson (PA)
6. Rep. Brad Finstad (MN)
7. Rep. Jim Costa (CA)
8. Rep. Paul Tonko (NY)
9. Rep. Don Bacon (NE)
10. Rep. Jack Bergman (MI)

Top 10 senators  

1. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN)
2. Sen. Cindy Hyde‑Smith (MS)
3. Sen. John Boozman (AR)
4. Sen. Mike Crapo (ID)
5. Sen. Ted Budd (NC)
6. Sen. Thom Tillis (NC)
7. Sen. Jerry Moran (KS)
8. Sen. Katie Boyd Britt (AL)
9. Sen. Steve Daines (MT)
10. Sen. Jim Risch (ID)

These lawmakers distinguished themselves through consistent legislative engagement, active participation in the Congressional Horse Caucus and strong responsiveness to equine industry concerns throughout the year.

Key legislative measures included in 2025 Scorecard

The following bills were used as weighted indicators of congressional support:

Equine health, biosecurity & disease prevention

• H.R. 3915—Foreign Animal Disease Prevention, Surveillance, and Rapid Response Act of 2025
• H.R. 3392 / S. 1751—STOP Screwworms Act (Strengthening Tactics to Obstruct the Population of Screwworms Act)
• H.R. 1266 / S. 545—Combating Illicit Xylazine Act

Veterinary workforce & rural access

• H.R. 2398 / S. 1163—Rural Veterinary Workforce Act

Equine & agricultural tax policy

• H.R. 1112—Racehorse Tax Parity Act
• H.R. 1113—Race Horse Cost Recovery Act of 2025
• H.R. 1301 / S. 587—Death Tax Repeal Act
• H.R. 703 / S. 213—Main Street Tax Certainty Act
• H.R. 1582 / S. 1177—Volunteer Driver Tax Appreciation Act of 2025
• S. 930—Capital gains exclusion on reinvested farmland property

Workforce training, credentialing & outdoor recreation

• H.R. 1151 / S. 756 — Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act
• S. 811 — RTP Full Funding Act of 2025 (Recreational Trails Program)
• S. 1547 — America the Beautiful Act

Additional evaluation factors

Beyond legislative sponsorships, the Scorecard also assesses:

• Membership in the Congressional Horse Caucus—recognizing legislators who formally commit to supporting equine‑related issues
• Responsiveness to the equine industry—based on member participation in briefings, meetings, constituent casework and timely engagement with AHC policy priorities

Key findings

• Broad bipartisan engagement: Support for equine health, rural veterinary access and screwworm prevention saw strong bipartisan momentum across both chambers.
• Growing support for workforce development: Bills like the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act and Rural Veterinary Workforce Act continue to draw new co‑sponsors, signaling increased recognition of critical shortages affecting equine and agricultural communities.
• Tax policy remains a priority: Measures such as the Racehorse Tax Parity Act, Main Street Tax Certainty Act and volunteer driver tax reforms saw meaningful activity, reflecting members’ interest in supporting small businesses, farms and non-profit operations that anchor the equine sector.
• High responsiveness marks industry allies: Top‑scoring members demonstrated consistent engagement with AHC throughout the year, participating in congressional briefings, responding quickly to stakeholder inquiries, and championing equine priorities in committee and caucus settings.

AHC statement

“Equine issues touch agriculture, recreation, rural development, small business, conservation and public health. This Scorecard reflects which members of Congress engaged meaningfully on those intersections in 2025,” said Julie Broadway, AHC president. “We are grateful for the bipartisan leadership of lawmakers who recognize the equine industry’s role in the economy, in rural communities, and in America’s cultural and recreational life.”

The full 2025 Congressional Scorecard is available at: https://horsecouncil.org/resources/congressional-scorecard/.

About the American Horse Council

The American Horse Council is the trusted voice of the equine industry in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to advocate for the health and welfare of the horse, as well as the economic and legislative interests of the equine industry.

To read about the AHC’s recent findings on horse welfare and euthanasia accessibility, click here.