(May 29, 2014) — The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announces its endorsement of Thad Cochran for reelection to the U.S. Senate. Citing his leadership and support of mainstream animal welfare policies, HSLF urges Mississippi voters to support Cochran in the June 3 primary election.
“In his leadership positions on the key committees, Senator Cochran has helped to strengthen the nation’s animal welfare laws and make sure they are properly enforced,” said HSLF President Michael Markarian. “We urge Mississippi voters to elect Cochran to a seventh term.”
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As the Ranking Member on the Senate Agriculture Committee, Cochran helped to pass legislation in the 2014 Farm Bill strengthening the federal animal fighting law, making it a crime to attend or bring a child to an animal fight. He also voted in favor of a similar amendment on the Senate floor in 2012.
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When he was the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Cochran supported funding for the enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, Horse Protection Act, Humane Methods of Slaughter Act and the federal animal fighting law, as well as programs to address the needs of animals in disasters and to ease a shortage of veterinarians in rural areas and in the USDA through student loan repayment.
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Cochran also helped to include committee report language in the Agriculture Appropriations Bill directing USDA to study Controlled Atmosphere Stunning, in which a mixture of gasses can be used to render poultry unconscious before slaughter. This technology is considered more humane than the method that requires workers to shackle conscious birds by a leg and hang them upside down to be dunked in electrified water.
Media Contact: Martin Montorfano, 202-276-2347, mmontorfano@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.
