The American Horse Council (AHC) has 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.

To recognize outstanding leadership, AHC is pleased to announce the Top 10 Representatives and Top 10 Senators who demonstrated the highest combined scores across all evaluation categories.

Top 16 Representatives: Rep. Andy Barr (KY); Rep. Ronny Jackson (TX); Rep. Michelle Fischbach (MN); Rep. Derrick Van Orden (WI); Rep. G.T. Thompson (PA); Rep. Brad Finstad (MN); Rep. Jim Costa (CA); Rep. Paul Tonko (NY); Rep. Don Bacon (NE); Rep. Jack Bergman (MI).

Top 10 Senators: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN); Sen. Cindy Hyde‑Smith (MS); Sen. John Boozman (AR); Sen. Mike Crapo (ID); Sen. Ted Budd (NC); Sen. Thom Tillis (NC); Sen. Jerry Moran (KS); Sen. Katie Boyd Britt (AL); Sen. Steve Daines (MT); 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 the 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.

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