U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., is teaming up with U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, to bring back a proposal to crack down on animal cruelty.
Back in 2015, Deutch and Smith unveiled the “Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act" which would give the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. attorneys more power to go in targeting animal cruelty cases that cross state lines. Deutch and Smith rounded up more than 250 members of Congress to support the proposal but they were not able to bring it to the finish line.
On Monday, Deutch and Smith brought back the legislation with eleven original co-sponsors including U.S. Reps. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Jerry Nadler, D-NY.
“These are unconscionable acts that we must not tolerate in our society,” Deutch said. “Americans from across the political spectrum agree that we should do more to protect animals from abuse. I’m proud to have helped pass into law a ban on animal crushing videos in 2010; now it’s time for Congress to take the next step and criminalize reprehensible abuse of animals.”
The bill has the support of the Human Society of the United States. Wayne Pacelle, the group’s president and CEO, went to bat for the bill on Monday.
“It’s long past time that Congress empowers the FBI and U.S. attorneys to deal with particularly malicious and deviant acts of cruelty on federal property or that cross state lines – especially given the well-documented link between animal abuse and other forms of violent behavior,” said Pacelle. "This common sense legislation passed the Senate last year with enormous bipartisan support, and now we urge the House to take up this measure swiftly to fortify the legal framework against cruelty in the United States.”
