Congressman is fighting China’s attempts to overturn a key California agriculture law that the Central Valley farmers have invested in by the hundreds of millions of dollars
Washington D.C. — Animal Wellness Action, a national policy and political organization seeking to enhance and advance legal protections for animals, has endorsed David Valadao for re-election in the race for California’s 22nd congressional district.
Pacelle expressed special appreciation for Rep. Valadao’s co-leadership this term of a Republican letter expressing opposition to the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, which would federally overturn certain voter-approved state laws to protect farm animals from extreme confinement. The EATS Act is being pushed by Smithfield Foods, which is wholly owned and run by China, and it would threaten California farmers who have invested millions to comply with California’s key animal housing law. That California law was explicitly upheld as constitutional by conservatives and liberals on the U.S. Supreme Court, with the opinion penned by Justice Neil Gorsuch.
“We shouldn’t allow China to drive agriculture policy in the United States and overturn U.S. elections, including the landslide election favoring Prop 12,” noted Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action. “David Valadao is standing in the way of Smithfield Food and its federal policy goal that would cripple egg and pig farmers, including key companies in the Central Valley.”
The group lauded his strong advocacy and leadership on numerous animal welfare issues. This term, he co-sponsored the FDA Modernization Act 3.0 (H.R. 7248) to reduce animal testing in drug development, the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act (H.R. 2742) to combat illegal animal fighting, the Greyhound Protection Act (H.R. 3894) to end greyhound racing in the United States, and the Animal Cruelty Enforcement (ACE) Act (H.R. 8923) to improve federal enforcement of laws against animal cruelty.
“David Valadao is one of the leaders on animal welfare in the U.S. Congress,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action. “He understands that cruelty to animals is wrong and that it’s typically bound up with other forms of social violence.”
The full endorsement letter for Rep. Valadao may be viewed here.
In the Central Valley race for California’s 21st congressional district, Animal Wellness Action has endorsed Rep. Jim Costa for re-election. AWA has endorsed Adam Gray in his effort to unseat Rep. John Duarte in the 13th District, in a district to the north of the 21st and 22nd.