WASHINGTON (Sept. 25, 2014) -- The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announces its endorsement of Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., for re-election to the U.S. Senate. Citing his support of animal protection legislation, the HSLF urges Virginia voters to support Sen. Warner in November’s general election.
“Senator Warner has been a strong supporter of legislation to protect animals from cruelty and abuse, particularly to end intentional cruelty to show horses,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of the HSLF. “A vote to return Mark Warner to the Senate is a vote for the humane treatment of all animals.”
Sen. Warner has a record of supporting animal welfare legislation since entering the Senate in 2009. In the 113th Congress, Sen. Warner:
- Sponsored the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act (S.1406) to strengthen the federal law against the “soring” of show horses—using caustic chemicals and other painful substances to injure the horses’ hooves and legs to induce a high-stepping gait.
- Co-sponsored the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act (S.666) which was included in the 2014 Farm Bill, making it a federal crime to attend or bring a child to a dogfight or cockfight.
- Co-signed a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack encouraging the USDA to step up enforcement of the Horse Protection Act at this year’s Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration in Shelbyville, Tenn.
In previous sessions of Congress:
- Voted in favor of an amendment to the FY2012 Agriculture Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2112) to end taxpayer subsidies to wealthy factory farms whose annual incomes exceed $1 million. Massive factory farms keep animal feed artificially cheap, jeopardize public health, the environment, and animal welfare, while also driving smaller and more humane family farms out of business.
- Voted in favor of an amendment to the 2012 Farm Bill (S.3240) to establish misdemeanor penalties for knowingly attending an organized animal fight and felony penalties for bringing a minor to such a fight.
- Co-sponsored the Truth in Fur Labeling Act (S.1076) to require species labeling on all fur products regardless of value, closing a loophole in current law.
Media Contact: Martin Montorfano, (202) 676-2347, 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.
