October 24, 2006

Animal Welfare Group Urges 1st District Voters to Re-Elect Brown for Congress on November 7

WASHINGTON —  Citing him as a leader on animal welfare policy in the U.S. House of Representatives, Humane Society Legislative Fund announced that it has endorsed U.S. Representative Henry Brown for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District in the November election.

“In order to pass humane laws, we need humane lawmakers like Representative Henry Brown,” said Richard Patch, political director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “Voters in the 1st District who care about animal welfare should support his re-election.”

In his six years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Henry Brown has been a strong supporter of animal protection. He has consistently scored high marks on the Humane Society Legislative Fund’s Humane Scorecard. Here are just a few of the actions that Representative Brown has taken to help animals:

• Animal Fighting: He co-sponsored the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act to strengthen the penalties for illegal dogfighting and cockfighting, making it a felony to transport animals across state lines for these gruesome and barbaric fights.
• Horse Slaughter: He cast his vote several times to end the slaughter of tens of thousands of American horses for food exports to France, Belgium, and other countries. And he has co-sponsored the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.
• Pets in Disasters: He supported 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 co-sponsored the Downed Animal Protection Act and supported legislation to stop the sale of sick and injured farm animals who are dragged to slaughter with ropes, chains, bulldozers, and forklifts. These so-called “downer” livestock pose a greater risk of “mad cow disease” and other threats to our food supply.
• Puppy Mills: He supported the Pet Animal Welfare Statute (PAWS) to crack down on commercial “puppy mills” that treat dogs like production machines.
• Exotic Pets: He supported legislation that ended the interstate commerce in lions, tigers, and other big cats for the exotic pet trade, and co-sponsored the Captive Primate Safety Act to end the trade in dangerous pet primates.
• Fur Labeling: He co-sponsored the Truth in Fur Labeling Act to require that all garments trimmed with real animal fur are labeled to provide important consumer information.

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.com.

--30--

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.