Tenure: 113th–119th Congresses
Years of Service: 2013–Present
Notable Actions
119th Congress
✅ Lead cosponsor of FDA Modernization Act 3.0, S. 355, to direct FDA to publish a final rule to implement a law enacted in December 2022 that eliminated a Depression-era requirement for animal testing in the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 USC § 355) and allows for innovative 21st-century human-relevant test methods where appropriate.
✅ Voted “Nay” on S.J. Res. 23 (Senate Roll Call Vote 122), a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn federal regulations strengthening implementation of the Endangered Species Act, including protections governing the listing of imperiled species and designation of critical habitat. A “Nay” vote is the pro-animal position because it supported retaining stronger federal protections for threatened and endangered wildlife and their habitat.
❌ Voted “Nay” on the motion to proceed to S.J. Res. 69 (Senate Roll Call Vote 597), a joint resolution under the Congressional Review Act to bring the measure before the Senate for consideration to overturn the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Barred Owl Management Strategy, which authorized the large-scale killing of barred owls in Washington, Oregon, and California. A “Nay” vote is the anti-animal position because it opposed moving forward with a vote to repeal the barred owl kill plan.
118th Congress
✅ Lead cosponsor of FDA Modernization Act 3.0, S. 5046, to direct FDA to publish a final rule to implement a law enacted in December 2022 that eliminated a Depression-era requirement for animal testing in the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 USC § 355) and allows for innovative 21st-century human-relevant test methods where appropriate.
✅ Lead cosponsor of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, S. 4004, to end the failed system of industry self-policing under the Horse Protection Act by banning devices associated with horse soring, increasing penalties for violators, and strengthening USDA enforcement to protect Tennessee Walking Horses and related breeds from intentional abuse used to exaggerate their gait in competitions.
✅ Lead Sponsor of the Homeward Bound Act, introduced alongside Senator Kevin Cramer to amend a restrictive Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) dog importation rule. The bill provided a 18-month waiver for service animals, military pets, and diplomatic families returning from low-risk rabies countries.
✅ Cosponsor of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, legislation aimed at strengthening the Horse Protection Act by eliminating industry self-policing and banning the cruel use of action devices, weighted shoes, and caustic chemicals intended to inflict pain on walking horses to force an exaggerated gait.
✅ Signed Bipartisan Joint Letter urging the CDC to immediately pause and revise its flawed border regulations for dogs to prevent detrimental consequences for pet owners and animal transport networks.
117th Congress
✅ Cosponsor of the AFTER Act, S. 1378, to provide a second chance for dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and nonhuman primates used in federally funded research by requiring facilities to pursue adoption or sanctuary placement whenever feasible.
✅ Cosponsor of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, S. 2295, to crack down on the cruel practice of soring, in which trainers inflict severe pain on the hooves and legs of Tennessee walking horses and related breeds to force them to perform an unnaturally high-stepping gait for competitions.
✅ Cosponsor of the Big Cat Public Safety Act, S. 1210, to reduce the number of tigers, lions and other big cats living in substandard conditions and to protect public safety by banning public contact activities with these animals and prohibiting their possession by individuals and entities lacking a USDA license. H.R. 263 – Big Cat Public Safety Act.
❌ Voted “Yea” on Sen. Ron Johnson’s Motion to Instruct conferees on H.R. 4521 (Senate Roll Call Vote 152), which sought to reject a House-passed provision prohibiting commercial mink farming in the United States. A “Yea” vote is the anti-animal position because it supported removing the House provision to end commercial mink farming.
✅ Voted “Aye” on the enactment of the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 (passed via the standard end-of-year consolidated appropriations), which successfully eliminated a 1938 statutory mandate requiring animal testing for all new drug developments, paving the way for advanced alternative testing methodologies.
116th Congress
✅ Cosponsor of the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, S. 877, to end the U.S. commercial trade in shark fins by prohibiting their sale, purchase, and transport, helping reduce the global demand that drives the cruel practice of shark finning. Core provisions of the bill were later incorporated into the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, which was signed into law in December 2022, making the United States one of the world’s largest nations to ban the domestic shark fin trade.
✅ Cosponsor of the Humane Cosmetics Act, S. 2886, bipartisan legislation to phase out animal testing for cosmetics and prohibit the sale of cosmetics developed or manufactured using new animal testing. The bill encouraged the use of modern, non-animal testing methods while helping align U.S. policy with the growing international movement to end cosmetic testing on animals.
✅ Cosponsor of the Big Cat Public Safety Act, S. 2561, to reduce the number of tigers, lions and other big cats living in substandard conditions and protect public safety by banning public contact activities with these animals and prohibiting their possession by individuals and entities lacking a U.S. Department of Agriculture license.
✅ Cosponsor of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, S. 1007, to crack down on the cruel practice of “soring,” in which trainers deliberately inflict severe pain on the hooves and legs of Tennessee walking horses and related breeds to force them to perform an unnaturally high- stepping gait for competitions.
✅ Approved by unanimous consent the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act to establish a national anti-cruelty. The Senate passed the bill by unanimous consent.
115th Congress
✅ Cosponsor of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, S. 2957, to crack down on the cruel practice of “soring,” in which trainers deliberately inflict pain on the hooves and legs of Tennessee walking horses and related breeds to force them to perform an unnaturally high-stepping gait for competitions.
✅ Approved by unanimous consent the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, S. 654, bipartisan legislation to make the most egregious acts of intentional animal cruelty—including crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impaling, and other forms of torture—a federal felony when committed in interstate or foreign commerce or within federal jurisdiction. The Senate passed the legislation by unanimous consent in December 2017.
✅ Voted “Yea” on the conference report for the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Bill), H.R. 2 (Senate Roll Call Vote 259), which included major animal-protection provisions prohibiting dog and cat meat consumption, extending the federal animal-fighting prohibition to all U.S. territories, and providing protections for domestic-violence survivors and their pets. The final bill also excluded the House-passed King Amendment, which threatened state animal-welfare laws. The Senate approved the Farm Bill 87–13.
❌ Voted “Aye” on H.J. Res. 69, a Congressional Review Act (Senate Roll Call Vote 92) resolution to overturn an Obama administration rule prohibiting killing bear cubs and wolf pups in their dens, baiting bears with food to shoot them at close range, and aerial shooting of wolves and other predators. The resolution passed the Senate 52–47. An “Aye” vote is the anti-animal position because it repealed the rule protecting wildlife from these inhumane and unsporting predator-killing practices on national wildlife refuges in Alaska.
114th Congress
✅ Cosponsor of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, S. 1121, to crack down on the cruel practice of “soring,” in which trainers deliberately inflict pain on the hooves and legs of Tennessee walking horses and related breeds to force them to perform an unnaturally high-stepping gait for competitions.
✅ Approved by unanimous consent the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, S. 1831, to establish federal criminal penalties for extreme acts of intentional animal cruelty, including imprisonment for up to seven years. The Senate passed the bill in December 2016, although the House did not complete action before the end of the Congress.
113th Congress
✅ Cosponsor of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, S. 1406, to crack down on the cruel practice of “soring,” in which trainers deliberately inflict pain on the hooves and legs of Tennessee walking horses and related breeds to force them to perform an unnaturally high-stepping gait for competitions.
✅ Lead Sponsor of the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act, which was successfully passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama. This critical piece of legislation amended the Controlled Substances Act to legally permit mobile veterinarians to transport and dispense vital medications across state lines and in the field. The law fundamentally improved animal protection field operations, allowing rescue organizations to perform on-scene emergency care during large-scale animal abuse interventions, animal fighting busts, and natural disaster relief efforts.