WASHINGTON (July 2, 2018)—Today the Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announced its endorsement of Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick for Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District.
In addition to earning a score of 100 on HSLF’s 2017 Humane Scorecard, Rep. Fitzpatrick has led efforts in the 115th Congress to crack down on problematic breeding facilities known as puppy mills. He is the lead sponsor of the Puppy Protection Act (H.R. 4693) to update federal standards of care for dog breeders and the Welfare of our Friends Act (H.R. 4691) to prevent problem breeders from receiving new licenses from the USDA.
"As a former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, Brian Fitzpatrick has a masterful understanding of the link between abuse of animals and violence against people, and is fighting to stop cruelty on all fronts," said Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. "We urge Pennsylvanians to send this compassionate leader back to Congress in November."
Among his efforts in the 115th Congress, Rep. Fitzpatrick:
- Voted for an amendment (H.Amdmt. 630) to the Farm Bill to clarify that federal prohibitions against dogfighting and cockfighting activity that affects interstate or foreign commerce apply to all U.S. jurisdictions, including the U.S. territories.
- Voted against H.J. Res. 69, a Congressional Review Act resolution to revoke a Fish and Wildlife Services rule that prohibits specific egregiously cruel and unsporting hunting methods on more than 76 million acres of National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska.
- Voted against a harmful rider (H.Amdt. 351) that sought to block regulations that prohibit scientifically unjustified and cruel methods of trophy hunting on over 20 million acres of NPS lands in Alaska, including killing hibernating black bear mothers and cubs and shooting caribou while they are swimming and defenseless.
- Cosponsored the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act (H.R. 909) to protect the human and animal survivors of domestic violence and support the work of domestic violence shelters to accommodate pets.
- Cosponsored the Prevent Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act (H.R. 1494) to make malicious animal cruelty a crime on federal property and in interstate commerce, and complement the state anti-cruelty laws.
- Cosponsored the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act (H.R. 113) to prohibit the slaughter and export of horses for human consumption overseas.
- Cosponsored the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act (H.R. 1456) to prohibit the trade of shark fins, for which sharks are hunted and their maimed bodies returned to the ocean.
- Cosponsored the Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2017 (H.R. 1406) to prohibit the domestic slaughter, trade and import of dogs and cats for human consumption.
- Cosponsored the Humane Cosmetics Act (H.R. 2790), to phase out the testing of cosmetics on live animals and the sale of newly animal-tested cosmetics.
- Cosponsored the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act (H.R. 1847) to strengthen the federal law against the “soring” of Tennessee Walking horses in shows—using caustic chemicals and other painful substances to injure the horses’ hooves and legs to induce a high-stepping gait.
Media Contact: press@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.
