Congressman deserves support for steadfast leadership on numerous animal welfare issues
Washington, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action, a national policy and political organization seeking to enhance and advance legal protections for animals, has endorsed Rep. Lloyd Doggett for re-election in the race for Texas’s 37th congressional district.
In his current term, Rep. Doggett co-sponsored multiple key animal welfare bills including the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act (H.R. 2742) to crack down on organized dogfighting and cockfighting, the Minks in Narrowly Kept Spaces (MINKS) are Superspreaders Act (H.R. 7670) to address the public health threat posed by domestic mink farming, the Kangaroo Protection Act (H.R. 4995) to end the commercial sale of products made using kangaroo skins and other kangaroo parts, and the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act (H.R. 3475) to end the slaughter of horses for human consumption.
“Lloyd Doggett fights for animal welfare at every turn,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action. “He understands that cruelty to animals matters, whether the victims are wild or domesticated animals, and he’s working hard to drive policies to address these societal problems.”
Earlier this year, Rep. Doggett voted against two measures the House Republican leadership brought up on the House floor that would have been disastrous for wildlife. The first bill (H.R. 764) would have stripped Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves across much of the lower 48 states, opening the door to trophy hunting and commercial trapping. Such a policy might also expose wolves to being recreationally run over with snowmobiles – a practice that came to light earlier this year in Wyoming. The second bill (H.R. 615) would have restricted land management officials from regulating the use of hazardous lead ammunition on public lands and waterways. Every year, ingested spent lead poisons millions of wild scavenger species, including our nation’s iconic bald eagles.
Pacelle also commended Rep. Doggett for signing a letter of opposition to the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act (H.R. 4417), which would federally overturn certain voter-approved state laws governing the humane housing of farm animals. The EATS Act is a top priority for Chinese-owned Smithfield Foods because it would allow foreign agribusiness giants to undercut a multi-million-dollar investment American family farmers have already made in more humane animal housing systems.
“Animal Wellness Action urges voters in the 37th congressional district of Texas to return Rep. Doggett to Congress this fall,” Pacelle said.
The full endorsement letter for Rep. Doggett may be viewed here.