Press Release

WASHINGTON (October 4, 2016)—The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announces its endorsement of Rep. Julia Brownley, D-California, for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Citing her strong advocacy for animal protection policies, the HSLF urges voters in California’s 26th Congressional District to support Rep. Brownley in November’s general election.

“Julia Brownley has been consistently supportive of animal welfare,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of the HSLF. “Voters in the 26th District who care about the humane treatment of animals should support Rep. Brownley for re-election.”

The HSLF publishes an annual Humane Scorecard to give voters a snapshot of every federal legislator's record on animal protection issues; Rep. Brownley received a perfect score of “100” in the Midterm Report for the 114th Congress.

Among her efforts in the 114th Congress, Rep. Brownley:

• Cosponsored the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act (H.R. 1258) to protect the human and animal victims of domestic violence and support the work of battered women’s shelters to accommodate pets;
• Cosponsored the Prevent Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act (H.R. 2293) to make malicious animal cruelty a crime on federal property and in interstate commerce, and complement the state anti-cruelty laws;
• Cosponsored the Humane Cosmetics Act (H.R. 2858) 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. 3268) 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;
• Cosponsored the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act (H.R. 1942) to prohibit the slaughter and export of horses for human consumption overseas;
• Supported the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 2576), to update chemical safety tests and reduce or eliminate the testing of tens of thousands of chemicals on animals;
• Supported funding for 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;
• Opposed a harmful rider that sought to block the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from implementing new rules to crack down on the domestic ivory trade and help stop the poaching and slaughter of elephants for their tusks;
• Opposed measures to substantially weaken the Endangered Species Act and strip federal protections from wolves and other imperiled species;
• Opposed the so-called Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act (H.R. 2406), a grab bag of the most extreme practices involving trophy hunting and commercial trapping of wild animals.

Media Contact: John Cleveland, (202) 676-2338, jcleveland@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.

WASHINGTON (October 4, 2016)—The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announces its endorsement of Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Florida, for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Citing her strong leadership and advocacy on animal protection policies, the HSLF urges voters in Florida’s 27th Congressional District to support Rep. Ros-Lehtinen in November’s general election.

“Ileana Ros-Lehtinen understands the fight for animal welfare,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of the HSLF. “Animals are lucky to have such an effective ally in Congress. We urge voters in the 27th District who care about the humane treatment of animals to support Rep. Ros-Lehtinen for re-election.”

Rep. Ros-Lehtinen was awarded the HSLF Legislative Leader Award in 2008 and in 2015. She consistently earns strong ratings in the HSLF Humane Scorecard, which grades lawmakers based on their support for animal protection.

Among her efforts in the 114th Congress, Rep. Ros-Lehtinen:

• Sponsored the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act (H.R. 1258) to protect the human and animal victims of domestic violence and support the work of battered women’s shelters to accommodate pets;
• Cosponsored the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act (H.R. 3268) 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;
• Cosponsored the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act (H.R. 1942) to prohibit the slaughter and export of horses for human consumption overseas;
• Supported the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 2576), to update chemical safety tests and reduce or eliminate the testing of tens of thousands of chemicals on animals;
• Opposed measures to substantially weaken the Endangered Species Act and strip federal protections from wolves and other imperiled species.

Media Contact: John Cleveland, (202) 676-2338, jcleveland@hslf.org

###

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.

WASHINGTON (October 4, 2016)—The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announces its endorsement of Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-California, for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Citing his strong leadership and advocacy on animal protection policies, the HSLF urges voters in California’s 9th Congressional District to support Rep. McNerney in November’s general election.

In HSLF’s 2015 Humane Scorecard, which rates candidates based on their support for animal protection policies, Rep. McNerney earned a score of “100” for backing the complete range of priority animal legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Jerry McNerney is a consistent and reliable congressional champion for animals,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of the HSLF. “Voters in the 9th District who care about the humane treatment of animals should support Rep. McNerney for re-election.”

Among his efforts in the 114th Congress, Rep. McNerney:

• Cosponsored the Humane Cosmetics Act (H.R. 2858), to phase out the testing of cosmetics on live animals and the sale of newly animal-tested cosmetics;
• Cosponsored the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act (H.R. 1258) to protect the human and animal victims of domestic violence and support the work of battered women’s shelters to accommodate pets;
• Cosponsored the Prevent Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act (H.R. 2293) to make malicious animal cruelty a crime on federal property and in interstate commerce, and complement the state anti-cruelty laws;
• Cosponsored the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act (H.R. 3268) 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;
• Cosponsored the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act (H.R. 1942) to prohibit the slaughter and export of horses for human consumption overseas;
• Supported the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 2576), to update chemical safety tests and reduce or eliminate the testing of tens of thousands of chemicals on animals;
• Supported funding for 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;
• Opposed the so-called Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act (H.R. 2406), a grab bag of the most extreme practices involving trophy hunting and commercial trapping of wild animals;
• Opposed a harmful rider that sought to block the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from implementing new rules to crack down on the domestic ivory trade and help stop the poaching and slaughter of elephants for their tusks;
• Opposed measures to substantially weaken the Endangered Species Act and strip federal protections from wolves and other imperiled species.

Media Contact: John Cleveland, (202) 676-2338, jcleveland@hslf.org

###

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.

WASHINGTON (October 4, 2016)—The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announces its endorsement of Rep. Scott Peters, D-California, for election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Citing his strong advocacy on animal protection policies, the HSLF urges voters in California’s 52nd Congressional District to support Rep. Peters in the November general election.

“Rep. Peters has been a stalwart supporter of legislation to protect animals from cruelty and abuse,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of the HSLF. “We are proud to support him in his upcoming election, and voters in the 52nd District who care about the humane treatment of animals should support Scott Peters as well.”

Each year, the HSLF publishes an annual Humane Scorecard to give voters a snapshot of every federal legislator's record on animal protection issues; Rep. Peters received a perfect score of “100” in the Midterm Report for the 114th Congress.

In the 114th Congress, Rep. Peters:

• Cosponsored the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act (H.R. 1258) to protect the human and animal victims of domestic violence and support the work of battered women’s shelters to accommodate pets;
• Cosponsored the Prevent Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act (H.R. 2293) to make malicious animal cruelty a crime on federal property and in interstate commerce, and complement the state anti-cruelty laws;
• Cosponsored the Humane Cosmetics Act (H.R. 2858) 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. 3268) 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;
• Cosponsored the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act (H.R. 1942) to prohibit the slaughter and export of horses for human consumption overseas;
• Supported the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 2576), to update chemical safety tests and reduce or eliminate the testing of tens of thousands of chemicals on animals;
• Supported funding for 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;
• Opposed a harmful rider that sought to block the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from implementing new rules to crack down on the domestic ivory trade and help stop the poaching and slaughter of elephants for their tusks;
• Opposed measures to substantially weaken the Endangered Species Act and strip federal protections from wolves and other imperiled species;
• Opposed the so-called Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act (H.R. 2406), a grab bag of the most extreme practices involving trophy hunting and commercial trapping of wild animals.

Media Contact: John Cleveland, (202) 676-2338, jcleveland@hslf.org

###

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.

WASHINGTON (October 3, 2016)—The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announces its endorsement of Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-New Jersey, for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Citing his strong leadership and advocacy on animal protection policies, the HSLF urges voters in New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District to support Rep. LoBiondo for re-election.

“Rep. LoBiondo is a dedicated proponent of animal welfare and animal protection,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of the HSLF. “Voters in the 2nd District who care about the humane treatment of animals should support Frank LoBiondo for re-election.”

In the 114th Congress, Rep. LoBiondo:

• Cosponsored the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act (H.R. 1258) to protect the human and animal victims of domestic violence and support the work of battered women’s shelters to accommodate pets;
• Cosponsored the Prevent Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act (H.R. 2293) to make malicious animal cruelty a crime on federal property and in interstate commerce, and complement the state anti-cruelty laws;
• Cosponsored the Humane Cosmetics Act (H.R. 2858), 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. 3268) 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;
• Cosponsored the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act (H.R. 1942) to prohibit the slaughter and export of horses for human consumption overseas;
• Supported the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 2576), to update chemical safety tests and reduce or eliminate the testing of tens of thousands of chemicals on animals;
• Supported funding for 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: John Cleveland, (202) 676-2338, jcleveland@hslf.org

###

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.

WASHINGTON (October 3, 2016)—The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announces its endorsement of Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, for election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Citing his strong support for animal protection policies, the HSLF urges residents of New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District to vote for Mr. Gottheimer in the upcoming general election.

Gottheimer’s opponent, incumbent Rep. Scott Garrett, has one of the worst animal welfare records in Congress, earning a “0” in the HSLF’s 2015 Humane Scorecard, and a “10.1” average over the course of his congressional career. In prior sessions, his scores were “10,” “14,” “8,” “13,” “18” and “8.”

"It’s hard to believe that Rep Garrett is so consistently out of touch on animal welfare issues—aligning himself with dogfighters and trophy hunters targeting endangered species," said Sara Amundson, executive director of the HSLF. "Garrett even opposed efforts to help pets and people in disaster planning. Voters in the 5th District who care about the humane treatment of animals could not have a sharper contrast and should vote for Josh Gottheimer."

Garrett has routinely taken the anti-animal position on votes in Congress, including:

• Voting against the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act (PETS) (H.R. 3858) which established a national policy of including pets and service animals in disaster planning. The bill passed almost unanimously in the House by a vote of 349 to 24 and was unanimously approved in the Senate.
• Voting against the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act (H.R. 137) 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.
• Voting against the Captive Primate Safety Act (H.R. 80) 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.
• Voting against an amendment to protect threatened polar bears in the Arctic and prevent the import of sport-hunted polar bear trophies from Canada (H.AMDT.1008/H.R. 4089).
• Voting against congressional efforts to protect marine turtles (H.R. 509), sea otters (H.R. 556), wild horses (H.R. 1018), cranes (H.R. 388), great cats and rare canids (H.R. 411).

Media Contact: John Cleveland, (202) 676-2338, jcleveland@hslf.org

###


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.

WASHINGTON (October 3, 2016)—The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announces its endorsement of Rep. Annie Kuster, D-New Hampshire, for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Citing her strong advocacy for animal protection policies, the HSLF urges voters in New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District to support Rep. Kuster for re-election.

“Annie Kuster has been a leader on animal welfare issues during her time in office,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of the HSLF. “Voters in the 2nd District who care about the humane treatment of animals should support Rep. Kuster for re-election.” The HSLF publishes an annual Humane Scorecard to give voters a snapshot of every federal legislator's record on animal protection issues; Rep. Kuster received a perfect score of “100” in the Midterm Report for the 114th Congress.

In the 114th Congress, Rep. Kuster:

• Cosponsored the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act (H.R. 1258) to protect the human and animal victims of domestic violence and support the work of battered women’s shelters to accommodate pets;
• Cosponsored the Prevent Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act (H.R. 2293) to make malicious animal cruelty a crime on federal property and in interstate commerce, and complement the state anti-cruelty laws;
• Cosponsored the Humane Cosmetics Act (H.R. 2858) 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. 3268) 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;
• Cosponsored the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act (H.R. 1942) to prohibit the slaughter and export of horses for human consumption overseas;
• Supported the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 2576), to update chemical safety tests and reduce or eliminate the testing of tens of thousands of chemicals on animals;
• Supported funding for 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;
• Opposed a harmful rider that sought to block the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from implementing new rules to crack down on the domestic ivory trade and help stop the poaching and slaughter of elephants for their tusks;
• Opposed measures to substantially weaken the Endangered Species Act and strip federal protections from wolves and other imperiled species;
• Opposed the so-called Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act (H.R. 2406), a grab bag of the most extreme practices involving trophy hunting and commercial trapping of wild animals.

Media Contact: John Cleveland, (202) 676-2338, jcleveland@hslf.org

###

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.

WASHINGTON (October 3, 2016)—The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announces its endorsement of Rep. Tom Marino, R-Pennsylvania, for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Citing his strong leadership and advocacy on animal protection policies, the HSLF urges voters in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District to support Rep. Marino in November’s general election.

“During his time in Congress, Tom Marino has worked to protect animals and crack down on cruel and criminal practices such as animal fighting,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of the HSLF. “Voters in the 10th District who care about the humane treatment of animals should support Rep. Marino for re-election.”

Among his efforts in the 114th Congress, Rep. Marino:

• Co-introduced the Prevent Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act (H.R. 2293) to make malicious animal cruelty a crime on federal property and in interstate commerce, and complement the state anti-cruelty laws;
• Cosponsored the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act (H.R. 1258) to protect the human and animal victims of domestic violence and support the work of battered women’s shelters to accommodate pets;
• Cosponsored the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act (H.R. 3268) 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;
• Cosponsored the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act (H.R. 1942) to prohibit the slaughter and export of horses for human consumption overseas;
• Supported the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 2576), to update chemical safety tests and reduce or eliminate the testing of tens of thousands of chemicals on animals.

Media Contact: John Cleveland, (202) 676-2338, jcleveland@hslf.org

###

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.

WASHINGTON (October 3, 2016)—The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announces its endorsement of Ruben Kihuen, D-Nevada, for election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Citing his strong leadership and advocacy on animal protection policies, the HSLF urges voters in Nevada’s 4th Congressional District to support Kihuen in November’s general election.

Kihuen’s opponent, incumbent Rep. Cresent Hardy, earned a “0” in the HSLF’s 2015 Humane Scorecard, which grades legislators based on their support for animal protection issues. Since winning election, he has opposed or failed to support legislation to protect the human and animal victims of domestic violence, make animal cruelty a federal crime, phase out the testing of cosmetics on live animals, strengthen the federal law against horse “soring” and prohibit the slaughter and export of horses for human consumption.

“Rep. Hardy is out of touch with the mainstream animal protection policies supported by the constituents in this congressional district,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of the HSLF. “Voters in the 4th District who care about the humane treatment of animals should support Ruben Kihuen for election.”

As a state legislator, Ruben Kihuen:

• Sponsored and passed a bill requiring research facilities to offer dogs and cats to animal shelters or rescue organizations before euthanizing them (SB 261);
• Sponsored a bill to ban the sale or transfer of ivory (SB 398).

Kihuen has indicated his intent to pursue animal protection legislation if elected to Congress.

Media Contact: John Cleveland, (202) 676-2338, jcleveland@hslf.org

###

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.

WASHINGTON (October 3, 2016)—The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announces its endorsement of Bryan Caforio, D-California, for election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Citing his strong leadership and advocacy on animal protection policies, the HSLF urges voters in California’s 25th Congressional District to support Caforio in November’s general election.

Caforio’s opponent, incumbent Rep. Steve Knight, earned an “11” in the HSLF’s 2015 Humane Scorecard. Since winning election, he has opposed or failed to support legislation to protect the human and animal victims of domestic violence, make animal cruelty a federal crime, phase out the testing of cosmetics on live animals, strengthen the federal law against horse “soring” and prohibit the slaughter and export of horses for human consumption.

“Rep Knight is out of touch with the mainstream animal protection policies supported by the constituents in this congressional district,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of the HSLF. “Voters in the 25th District who care about the humane treatment of animals should support Bryan Caforio for election.”

As a state legislator, Knight:

• Opposed a bill to prohibit the sale of shelled eggs from farms not in compliance with animal care standards (AB 1437);
• Opposed a bill to protect tenants from being forced by landlords into unnecessary surgery on their pets, i.e. declawing or devocalization (AB 2743);
• Opposed a bill to require shelter animals to be microchipped (SB 702);
• Opposed a bill that banned the sale of animals in parking lots and along roadsides, as well as increased penalties for neglect (SB 917);
• Opposed a bill to ban the hounding of bears and bobcats (SB 1221);
• Opposed a bill to protect pets and wildlife from unnecessary cruelty and death associated with trapping methods (SB 1480);
• Opposed a bill to increase the ability to prosecute and penalize for wildlife crimes (AB 2179);
• Opposed a bill to require lead-free ammunition in order to protect both wildlife and people from the dangers of lead poisoning (AB 711).

Media Contact: John Cleveland, (202) 676-2338, jcleveland@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.