Animal Welfare Group Urges New York Voters to Choose Humane Candidates for Office

WASHINGTON (Aug. 11, 2008)—Citing their leadership and support of animal protection policies, the Humane Society Legislative Fund announces its endorsement of 25 New York candidates for U.S. House of Representatives in the general election, including two in the state’s upcoming September 9 primary.

“In order to have humane laws, we need to elect humane lawmakers,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of Humane Society Legislative Fund. “We urge Empire State voters to elect candidates who support the humane treatment of animals.”

For two contested primary contests in the state, HSLF is supporting incumbent Rep. Edolphus Towns for the Democratic nomination in the 10th District, and Iraq veteran Jon Powers for the Democratic nomination in the 26th District. HSLF is backing 23 incumbent lawmakers for reelection, and two challengers in open seats: Powers in the 26th and former Capitol Hill aide Dan Maffei in the 25th District.

Several members of New York’s House delegation have been leaders for the humane treatment of animals. For example:

• Rep. Steve Israel (D-2nd) is the author of the Animal Welfare Accountability Improvement Act, H.R. 2193, which seeks to increase the penalties for violations of the Animal Welfare Act and to ban the use of live animals for marketing the sale of medical devices.
• Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-5th) is the author of the Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act, H.R. 661, which would stop the processing of sick and crippled livestock for human consumption, and require the immediate humane euthanasia of animals unable to walk or stand on their own.
• Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-10th) is the lead author of the Great Ape Protection Act, H.R. 5852, which would phase out the use of chimpanzees in invasive research in the United States, and retire the approximately 600 federally owned chimps to permanent sanctuary.
• Rep. Nita Lowey (D-18th), chairwoman of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, passed legislation directing the U.S. Agency for International Development not to spend tax dollars promoting trophy hunting in foreign countries as a rural development strategy.
• Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-22nd) has led efforts to stop the shooting and slaughter of the last herd of free-roaming buffalo in Yellowstone National Park.
• Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-28th) is the author of the Prevention of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act, H.R. 962, to curb the overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture which allows animals to be kept in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions on factory farms and endangers public health by reducing the effectiveness of human drugs.

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.

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Media contact: Heather Sullivan: 301-548-7778, hsullivan@hslf.org

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. On the web at hslf.org.

Paid for by Humane Society Legislative Fund and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. HSLF, 519 C Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002.