WASHINGTON (Oct. 15, 2012) -- The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announces its endorsement of U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., for re-election to the U.S. Senate. Citing his strong leadership and support of animal protection policies, the Humane Society Legislative Fund urges voters in Maryland to support Cardin.
“As chairman of the Senate Water and Wildlife Subcommittee, Ben Cardin is in a special place to influence policies to protect animals from cruelty and abuse and to find common-sense solutions to some of the problems animals face,” said Michael Markarian president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “He has stood up for the values of kindness and compassion, and we urge Maryland voters who care about the humane treatment of animals to reelect Ben Cardin.”
Cardin has advocated for a number of federal policies to stop animal cruelty and abuse. Among his efforts, Cardin has:
- As chairman of the Senate Water and Wildlife Subcommittee, worked to advance several key pieces of animal protection and conservation legislation, including the Captive Primate Safety Act to prohibit the interstate commerce in chimpanzees and other primates for the exotic pet trade, which poses a danger to animal welfare and to public health and safety (S.1324), the Crane Conservation Act to fund conservation programs for imperiled crane populations in the U.S. and around the world (S. 197), and the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act to fund conservation programs that protect rare dog and cat species such as jaguars, leopards, cheetahs, and African wild dogs (S. 529)
- Held a subcommittee hearing on the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act, S. 810, to phase out the use of chimpanzees in invasive research, retire federally-owned chimpanzees to sanctuary, and save millions of taxpayer dollars
- Co-sponsored the Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments of 2012, S. 3239, to ban barren battery cages in the egg industry, and improve the treatment of hundreds of millions of laying hens
- Co-sponsored the Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety (PUPS) Act, S. 707, to protect dogs and crack down on large-scale puppy mill abuses
- Co-sponsored the Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act to require humane euthanasia of livestock too sick or injured to walk and to prohibit USDA certification of meat from such animals for human consumption (S. 394)
- Co-sponsored the Truth in Fur Labeling Act to require accurate labeling of all garments trimmed with animal fur so consumers are not deceived into believing the apparel is faux fur (S.1076/P.L. 111-313)
- Co-sponsored the Animal Fighting Enforcement Prohibition Act, which was signed into law in 2007 and strengthened the penalties for illegal dogfighting and cockfighting, making it a felony to transport animals across state lines for these gruesome and barbaric fights (S.261/110-22)
- Co-sponsored the Protect America's Wildlife (PAW) Act of 2009, S. 1535, to close a loophole in federal law that allows the shooting of wolves and other wildlife using airplanes and helicopters
- Supported an amendment to the 2012 Farm Bill to close a loophole in the federal animal fighting law by making it a crime to attend or take a child to a dogfight or cockfight (S.Amdt. 2363/S. 3240)
- Voted to save taxpayer dollars by limiting subsidies to massive factory farms, which thrive on taxpayer giveaways that keep animal feed artificially cheap, jeopardize public health, the environment, and animal welfare, while also driving smaller and more humane, sustainable family farms out of business (S.Amdt. 791/H.R. 2112)
- Supported efforts to provide adequate funding for the enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, Horse Protection Act, Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, and federal animal fighting law, as well as for programs to address the needs of animals in disasters and to ease a shortage of veterinarians in rural and inner-city areas and USDA positions through student loan forgiveness.
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.
