Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of legislation that I introduced today along with Senators Booker, Wyden, Duckworth, Padilla, and Warren: the Strengthening Welfare in Marine Settings (SWIMS) Act. This is a companion to legislation introduced by Congressman Adam Schiff in the House of Representatives.

Our bill would ban the importation and exportation of orcas, beluga whales, pilot whales, and false killer whales for public display, with an exception for animals being released to a marine sanctuary or back to the wild.

Our bill would also prohibit breeding captive whales to raise their newborns for public display, ensuring that the current generation of these whales in captivity would be the last.

The evidence is clear: Orcas, beluga whales, pilot whales, and false killer whales are intelligent and emotionally complex animals that cannot thrive in captivity. In the wild, these whales can travel up to 100 miles per day and dive hundreds of feet deep.

However, many animals in captivity live in tanks so small they cannot even turn around. Often, these whales are so stressed that they gnaw on the concrete walls of their tanks until the dental nerves of their teeth are exposed, permanently damaging their teeth and requiring constant antibiotics.

The inhumane confinement for these animals has consequences, which are made clear when news breaks of yet another whale dying well before its time. In the wild, the average orca lives for 40 years. Orcas in captivity in the United States typically live only 12 years. Although no orca has ever been documented attacking a human in the wild, in captivity, these whales have been documented to lash out at their human trainers, causing severe harm or death.

Despite these well-established facts, more than 50 whales remain in captivity across the United States. My home State of California has already banned orca shows and breeding, and some exhibitors like SeaWorld have promised to end their orca breeding programs.

It is long past time for Federal Government to apply this policy to the whale species that suffer the most in captivity and end this cruel practice. Our bill, which is endorsed by 15 animal welfare organizations, would do just that.

Mr. President, by passing my bill, the Senate can prevent the needless suffering and deaths of these majestic animals who truly belong in the wild. I urge my colleagues to join us in cosponsoring the SWIMS Act. ______

By Mr. BOOKER:

S. 4749. A bill to improve grants administered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

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