November 2, 2006

Animal Welfare Group Urges 6th District Voters to Re-Elect Bartlett for Congress on November 7

WASHINGTON —  Citing him as a leader on animal welfare policy in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Humane Society Legislative Fund announced that it has endorsed U.S. Representative Roscoe Bartlett in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District race.
 
“In order to pass humane laws, we need humane lawmakers like Representative Roscoe Bartlett,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “Voters in Maryland’s 6th District who care about animal welfare should support his re-election.”

HSLF recognized Rep. Bartlett for his leadership in working to pass the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act, H.R. 817, which seeks to create felony-level penalties for illegal dogfighting and cockfighting activities, and to ban the interstate and foreign commerce in cockfighting implements. The need for this legislation has become even more urgent, as the illegal transport of cockfighting birds has been linked to the spread of deadly bird flu.

During his tenure in the U.S. House, Roscoe Bartlett has been a dedicated supporter of animal protection, earning a 100% the Humane Society Legislative Fund’s Humane Scorecard. Some of the animal welfare issues supported by Representative Bartlett include:

• Horse Slaughter: He voted to end the slaughter of tens of thousands of thoroughbreds, family ponies, and other horses for food exports to France, Belgium, and other countries. He also co-sponsored the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.
• Pets in Disasters: He co-sponsored the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act to require emergency planning for pets and service animals, keeping people and pets together during disasters.
• Downer Livestock: He supported the Downed Animal Protection Act to stop the sale of sick and injured livestock who are often dragged to slaughter with ropes, chains, forklifts, and bulldozers. These “downer” animals pose a greater risk of “mad cow disease” and other threats to our food supply.
• Enforcement of Animal Welfare Laws: He has consistently supported efforts to increase funding to improve enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, and federal animal fighting law.
• Bear Baiting: He voted to stop the cruel and dangerous practice of shooting bears over piles of grease and jelly doughnuts on federal lands.
• Antifreeze Safety: He supported the Antifreeze Bittering Act to include a bittering agent in sweet-tasting antifreeze and engine coolant, which would prevent thousands of animals and children from being poisoned. 
• Big Cats: He supported legislation that ended the interstate commerce in lions, tigers, and other big cats for the pet trade.

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. A complete list of HSLF’s endorsements is available online at www.humanevoting.org. 

Media Contact: Julia Janak, jjanak@hslf.org, (425) 208-1684.

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Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF) is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. 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. Contributions or gifts to HSLF are not tax deductible. Your donation may be used for lobbying to pass laws to protect animals, as well as for political purposes, such as supporting or opposing candidates. HSLF does not accept contributions from business corporations or labor organizations. On the web at www.hslf.org.