Read our endorsement letter here.
September 18, 2026
Dear Ms. Nelson,
On behalf of Animal Wellness Action (AWA), a national policy and political organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing legal protections for animals, we are pleased to endorse your campaign for Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District.
You have provided Animal Wellness Action with detailed responses to our congressional candidate questionnaire, supporting policies to address animal fighting, puppy mills, horse slaughter, horse soring, greyhound racing, wildlife protection, and needless, costly, and ineffective forms of animal testing, including taxpayer support for U.S.-funded animal testing in foreign countries.
Animal fighting is disturbingly widespread in Oklahoma, and that’s why we express our thanks for your commitment to support the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act. The Oklahoma Sheriffs’ Association has called on members of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation to cosponsor the FIGHT Act, describing animal fighting as closely correlated with illegal gambling, money laundering, illegal immigration, and narcotics trafficking. They are joined in supporting the FIGHT Act by 500 other law enforcement agencies, led by the National Sheriffs’ Association and National District Attorneys Association.
Despite the support for the measure from elected sheriffs representing 77 counties, Rep. Bice has not joined the legislation as a cosponsor. You have likewise committed to supporting the No Flight, No Fight Act, which addresses the transportation of fighting roosters by commercial airlines, and the Animal Cruelty Enforcement (ACE) Act, which would strengthen the federal government’s capacity to enforce federal anti-cruelty laws. Rep. Bice has not cosponsored any of these bipartisan policy proposals, which are all led by Republicans from Nebraska, Ohio, and Texas.
She has also failed to cosponsor other bills you’ve committed to cosponsor, including the Puppy Protection Act, Greyhound Protection Act, Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act, Restore Our American Mustangs Act, and Bear Poaching Elimination Act.
Rep. Bice has also voted very consistently against animal welfare measures that have hit the House floor. She supported the 2026 Farm Bill containing a provision led by China’s Smithfield Foods to wipe out state farm animal welfare laws and to increase China’s control of land and animals in the United States. Smithfield Foods, whose board consists exclusively of Chinese nationals, already controls 25% of U.S. pig production. She also opposed bills to stop greyhound racing (criminalized already in 44 states), to halt the inhumane practice of horse “soring” (where chemicals are used to burn the feet of horses or sharp objects are driven into the soft tissue above the hoof) to exaggerate the gait of Tennessee Walking horses, and to halt the trade in big cats as pets. On the big cats bill – motivated in part by the Joe Maldanado’s private menagerie in Wynnewood, where he killed dozens of tigers and violated the Endangered Species Act – she diverged in her vote from Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole and also from the Senator James Lankford and the late Senator James Inhofe, who let the bill clear in the Senate to be sent to the President for his signature.
A profound respect for the humane treatment of animals is a core value shared by Americans across the political spectrum. How we treat animals is a powerful reflection of our character as a society, and evidence consistently shows that acts of animal cruelty are frequently linked with broader patterns of violence and antisocial behavior that threaten public safety. By standing against these abuses, you are helping to make communities safer for families and children while upholding fundamental standards of common decency.
For these reasons, Animal Wellness Action is proud to endorse your campaign for Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District. We look forward to working with you to advance strong, bipartisan animal protection policies in the 120th Congress.
Sincerely,
Wayne Pacelle
President
Animal Wellness Action