Congressman hailed as one of the most effective animal welfare leaders in U.S. House
Washington D.C. — Animal Wellness Action, a national policy and political organization seeking to enhance and advance legal protections for animals, has endorsed Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick for re-election in the race for Pennsylvania’s 1st congressional district. It also announced an Independent Expenditure campaign for him.
You can see the advertisement for Rep. Fitzpatrick here.
The group lauded his strong leadership as the author of key legislation including the Puppy Protection Act (H.R. 1624) to enhance care standards for dogs used for commercial breeding and the Kangaroo Protection Act (H.R. 4995) to end the commercial sale of products made using kangaroo skins and other kangaroo parts.
“Brian Fitzpatrick is one of Congress’s most independent and thoughtful members of Congress, and I see that in evidence as he works on animal welfare issues,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action. “He has made an extraordinary difference when it comes to national anti-cruelty policies, and I hope voters return him to Congress to continue to build on his high-impact record.”
Earlier this year, Rep. Fitzpatrick stood up to his party’s leadership by opposing two bills they brought up for votes 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. Rep. Fitzpatrick also bucked his party by voting against a bill (H.R. 615) to restrict 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.
Rep. Fitzpatrick was also praised for supporting the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act (H.R. 2742) to crack down on organized dogfighting and cockfighting, the FDA Modernization Act 3.0 (H.R. 7248) to promote humane testing in drug development, the Greyhound Protection Act (H.R. 3894) to phase out greyhound racing in the United States, and the Minks in Narrowly Kept Spaces (MINKS) are Superspreaders Act (H.R. 7670) to address the public health threat posed by domestic mink farming.
In the prior Congress, Rep. Fitzpatrick was the leader of the Big Cat Public Safety Act — signed into law by President Biden — that halts the trade in big cats, including cubs, sold at roadside zoos. He also was a key leader of the FDA Modernization Act to eliminate an animal testing mandate for drug development.
“Animal Wellness Action urges voters in the 1st congressional district of Pennsylvania who care about animal welfare and who abhor animal cruelty to back Rep. Fitzpatrick this fall,” Pacelle said.
The full endorsement letter for Rep. Fitzpatrick may be viewed here.