Issue Position: Animal Rights

Issue Position

As co-chair of the bipartisan Animal Protection Caucus, which includes over 80 members, Congressman Moran believes that the federal government has an important role to play in protecting animals against cruelty and abuse. All animals deserve to be treated with dignity and are entitled to lives free of unnecessary pain and suffering. Advocating on behalf of the vulnerable, including animals, has been and will continue to be one of Jim's top priorities.

Jim has been instrumental in the introduction of several important pieces of legislation designed to toughen laws against animal cruelty. In the 111th Congress, he sponsored the Truth in Fur Labeling Act, which, if passed into law would require accurate labeling of fur products to prevent the illegal sale of cat and dog fur from China. The Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act, which requires localities to develop plans for the evacuation of pets in emergency situations, became law thanks to the dedicated work of Congressman Moran and the Animal Protection Caucus.

Jim co-sponsored the Animal Fighting Prohibition Act, which made it a felony to transport animals across state lines for the purpose of animal fighting or to sponsor or otherwise participate in animal fighting. He co-sponsored the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act, which would have authorized the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance for projects designed to protect wild feline and canine species native to the United States. He voted for the Restore Our American Mustangs Act and has been steadfast in opposing legislation that will result in the destruction of our environment and the habitats of the endangered animals for whom we have been given stewardship.

After the Supreme Court struck down the original law prohibiting the creation and possession of animal crush videos, Congressman Moran played a critical role in the development and re-introduction of new legislation designed to end the tragedy of animals being abused by the makers of these films while at the same time respecting and addressing the constitutional issues raised by the Supreme Court. The Prevention of Interstate Commerce in Animal Crush Videos Act of 2010 recently passed the House of Representatives and is currently pending in the Senate.

The plight of farm animals is of special interest to Congressman Moran. He has been a pioneer in the creation of legislation designed to ensure a humane quality of life for farm animals before slaughter. He co-sponsored the Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act, which would have prohibited the federal government from purchasing any products derived from animals raised or transported in an inhumane manner. He also sponsored the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act and the Farm Animal Anti-Cruelty Act, which would have made it a crime to kill, mutilate, torture or intentionally harm farm animals.

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