Respecting our Living Creatures

"Since my election to Congress, I have continued to demonstrate support for legislation to protect animals, both in America through the continued support of the Animal Welfare Act, and internationally through the funding of diverse animal protection and conservation programs"

Defending Animal Welfare

• Supporter of the continued expansion and stronger enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).


• Cosponsor of the Animal Fighting Enforcement Act (H.R. 817), which would amend the AWA to increase the imprisonment penalty for animal fighting violations from one to two years.


• Cosponsor of legislation that would end the use of steel-jawed leg-hold traps on animals in the United States.


• Supporter of legislation to prohibit funding for the slaughtering of horses.


• Cosponsor of the Downed Animal Protection Act, which makes illegal to buy, sell, or transfer any non-ambulatory livestock unless such livestock has been humanely euthanized. Additionally, this measure would ban the sale of the meat of downed animals due to the health risks to the public.


• Supporter of legislation to prohibit the practice of "bear baiting."

Preserving Endangered Species

• Strong supporter of the goals of the Endangered Species Act, helping to save those wild animals and plants whose population has steadily dwindled or whose habitats are threatened.


• Supporter of increased funding for the Multinational Species Conservation Fund, which helps exotic animals such as rhinos, elephants and great apes from becoming extinct.


• Supporter of increased funding for US Agency for International Development (USAID) to help conserve the environment of wild animals whose lands are continuously threatened by development and poaching.

Protecting America's Pets

• Voted for legislation to ensure that state and local emergency preparedness plans consider the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals.


• Cosponsor of the PAWS bill (H.R. 2669), which would extend animal welfare protections to puppies and kittens bred by large commercial operations and sold over the Internet or newspaper ads.