WASHINGTON (Sept. 13, 2012) -- The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announced its endorsement of U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., for the new 11th Congressional District in New York. Citing his effective leadership and advocacy on animal protection policies, the Humane Society Legislative Fund urges voters to support Grimm.
“Michael Grimm has demonstrated strong leadership on important policies to support the human-animal bond and prevent animal cruelty,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “He has stood up for the values of kindness and compassion and we urge New York voters to support Grimm.”
Grimm has been a leading champion for animal protection since he began his service in the U.S. House of Representatives. During his first term he has:
- Sponsored the Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act, H.R. 198, to create a pilot program in which veterans suffering from post-deployment mental health conditions train service dogs, including those rescued from shelters, as a form of therapy. The dogs would then go to help veterans with disabilities. Grimm’s bill unanimously passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2011 as part of a larger veterans’ health care bill.
- Co-sponsored the Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments, H.R. 3798, to improve the treatment of egg-laying hens and provide a stable and secure future for U.S. egg farmers
- Co-sponsored the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, H.R. 2966, to prohibit the long-distance transport (including export) of American horses for slaughter for human consumption in other countries where horse meat is considered a delicacy
- Co-sponsored the Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety (PUPS) Act, H.R. 835, to crack down on abusive “puppy mills” in the U.S., where breeding dogs are often stacked in wire cages for years to produce litter after litter, without exercise, veterinary care, socialization or human companionship
- Co-sponsored the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act, H.R. 1513, to phase out use of chimpanzees in invasive research, retire the approximately 500 federally-owned chimpanzees to sanctuary, and save tens of millions of tax dollars from warehousing chimps in federally-funded laboratories
- Co-sponsored the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act, H.R. 2492, to close a loophole in the federal animal fighting law by making it a crime to knowingly attend or take a minor to an organized dogfight or cockfight
- Co-sponsored the Battlefield Excellence through Superior Training (BEST) Practices Act, H.R. 1417, to require the military to use only human-based methods for training soldiers in the treatment of severe combat injuries, assuring a more humane and effective training protocol
- Adopted Sebastian, a Yorkshire terrier rescued from a Missouri puppy mill, who makes the rounds on Capitol Hill with Grimm
Media contact: Heather Sullivan, (301) 548-7778, hsullivan@hslf.org
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HSLF is a nonpartisan organization that evaluates candidates based only on a single criterion: where they stand on animal welfare. HSLF does not judge candidates based on party affiliation or any other issue.
The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.
Paid for by Humane Society Legislative Fund and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. HSLF, 1255 23rd Street, NW, Suite 455, Washington, DC 20037.
