Leveraging his position as chairman of the Animal Protection Caucus, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., insists he is ready to push several bills over the rest of 2019 and through 2020.
Buchanan, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oreg., who cochairs the caucus, printed a piece in The Hill on Monday highlighting their agenda.
“While there are many issues that divide Democrats and Republicans, one that strongly unites us is protecting helpless animals from severe cruelty and torture,” the congressmen wrote. “Animal protection is a cause that enjoys broad support from Americans of all political affiliations. From Sarasota, Florida to Portland, Oregon, animal lovers have something to be excited about as the 2019-20 session of Congress is shaping up to be a productive time for animal welfare and wildlife conservation efforts.
“We will build upon the success of the last Congress, which passed legislation to end dog fighting in U.S. territories, banned the slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption and helped survivors of domestic violence keep their pets. This session, the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus has an even more ambitious agenda,” they added. “With more than 130 members of Congress, our caucus is committed to passing legislation that combats animal cruelty, ends painful experimentation on animals and permanently bans the slaughter of American horses for human consumption.We ask our colleagues in Congress to join us – and millions of Americans – in supporting the following bipartisan reforms.”
The caucus is pushing the “Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act” from Buchanan and U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla. Buchanan introduced the "Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act" with Deutch as the main cosponsor back in January. When he unveiled it, the Florida Republican’s office explained why the congressman introduced the proposal.
“Disturbingly, in so-called ‘animal crush videos,’ individuals brutally kill, mutilate and torture small and defenseless animals as a perverse form of entertainment to be shared over the internet. And while Congress passed legislation in 2010 to prohibit the creation and distribution of these horrific videos, the underlying acts themselves are still legal under federal law,” Buchanan’s office noted. “Buchanan’s legislation will close those loopholes by prohibiting the underlying acts of torture themselves, regardless of whether or not a video is created. Specifically, the PACT Act will amend the federal criminal code to prohibit the intentional acts of crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impaling or otherwise subjecting animals to serious bodily harm. Those convicted would face federal felony charges, fines and up to seven years in prison.”
Buchanan and Blumenauer are also pushing the “Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act” which U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., unveiled in the Senate earlier this month. The bill “would require any country that seeks to export shark, ray, and skate to the US to first demonstrate it has a system of science-based management to prevent overfishing and a prohibition on the practice of shark finning" and ensure other nations “must also receive certification from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that its fisheries management policies are on par with US practices” and modifies the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act.
The caucus is also championing U.S. Rep. Janice Schakowsky’s, D-Ill., and Buchanan’s “Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act” as they look to end exporting horses to be slaughtered for human consumption; U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Oreg., and U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho’s, R-Fla., “Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act," an effort to double down in preventing horse soring; U.S. Rep. Dina Titus’, D-Nev., “Providing Responsible Emergency Plans for Animals at Risk of Emerging Disasters (PREPARED) Act” which would “require that zoos, animal dealers and research facilities have contingency plans in place to safely evacuate animals in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency;” and U.S. Rep. John Garamendi’s, D-Calif., “Wildlife Conservation and Anti-Trafficking Act” which “would upgrade certain violations to federal racketeering and organized crime offenses as well as increase incentives for informants.”
“All of these bills enjoy bipartisan support. We believe the new Congress this year will move swiftly on these important measures that have been ignored for far too long, such as the PACT Act. Ending animal cruelty should be a bipartisan priority we can all support,” Buchanan and Blumenauer wrote.
