Issue Position: Protecting Animal Welfare

Issue Position

Mike believes that the way we treat animals reflects the values that we hold, which is why he has been such a strong advocate for the protection of wild and domestic animals, and the protection of the habitats of threatened and endangered species.

Recent actions by the Trump Administration to undermine animal welfare have been deeply troubling. These actions include overturning the ability of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to prevent shooting or trapping wolves while at their dens with cubs, using airplanes to scout for grizzly bears to shoot, trapping bears with cruel steel-jawed leghold traps and wire snares, and luring grizzly bears with food to get a point blank kill.

Moreover, the U.S. Department of Agriculture removed public access to tens of thousands of reports that document the numbers of animals kept by research labs, companies, zoos, circuses, and animal transporters--and whether those animals are being treated humanely under the Animal Welfare Act.

Over the past twelve months, Mike has:

*Co-sponsored a variety of legislation to eliminate cruel treatment toward animals in the United States, including the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act of 2019, and the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act of 2019.
*Co-sponsored the WOOF! Act, to prevent licenses from being issued to dealers of dogs who have had their license revoked, and the Big Cat Public Safety Act, to ban private ownership of big cats like tigers, lions, and leopards.
*Co-sponsored the bipartisan bill, U.S. Senator Joseph D. Tydings Memorial Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act of 2019, to amend the Horse Protection Act to designate additional unlawful acts under the Act, strengthen penalties for violations of the Act, and improve Department of Agriculture enforcement of the Act. Specifically, to prevent the inhumane practice of soring horses.
*Supported efforts to prevent cruelty that has become common practice in horse racing, by co-sponsoring the bipartisan Horseracing Integrity Act of 2019, to improve the integrity and safety of horseracing by requiring a uniform anti-doping and medication control program to be developed and enforced by an independent Horseracing Anti-Doping and Medication Control Authority.
*Co-sponsored the Captive Primate Safety Act, to prohibit the importation, exportation, transportation, sale, receipt, acquisition, and purchase in interstate or foreign commerce, of any nonhuman primate.

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