Animal Welfare Group Urges Maryland Voters to Choose Cardin for Senate on November 7th
WASHINGTON — Citing his track record as a leader on animal welfare policy, the Humane Society Legislative Fund announced that it has endorsed U.S. Representative Ben Cardin in Maryland’s U.S. Senate race.
“In order to pass humane laws, we need humane lawmakers like Representative Cardin,” said Richard Patch, political director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF). “Voters in Maryland who care about animal welfare should support his election to the U.S. Senate.”
According to the HSLF, in his two decades of service in the U.S. House of Representatives, Ben Cardin has been a strong supporter of animal protection. He has consistently scored high marks on the HSLF’s Humane Scorecard.
The HSLF highlighted the following actions that Representative Cardin has taken to help animals:
* Animal Fighting: He co-sponsored legislation to strengthen the penalties for illegal dog fighting and cock-fighting, making it a felony to transport animals across state lines for these gruesome and barbaric fights.
* Horse Slaughter: He cast his vote five times to end the slaughter of tens of thousands of American horses for food exports to France, Belgium, and other countries.
* 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 voted for legislation to stop the sale of sick and injured farm animals who are dragged to slaughter with ropes, chains, bulldozers, and forklifts. These sick animals pose a greater risk of “mad cow disease” and other threats to our food supply.
* Puppy Mills: He co-sponsored the Pet Animal Welfare Statute (PAWS) to crack down on abusive “puppy mills” that treat the dogs like they are production machines.
* 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.
* Yellowstone Bison: He cast his vote in support of legislation to stop the killing of American bison in Yellowstone National Park.
* Bear Baiting: He voted for legislation to stop the unsporting and inhumane trophy hunting of bears over piles of food on our federal lands.
* Big Cats: He supported legislation that ended the interstate commerce in lions, tigers, and other big cats for the pet trade.
* Predator Control: He cast his vote twice to eliminate taxpayer funding for government agents to kill coyotes and other predators with cruel traps, poisons, explosives, and aerial gunning, as a subsidy for private ranchers.
* Trapping on Refuges: He supported legislation to stop the use of steel-jawed leg-hold traps and wire neck snares on National Wildlife Refuges for recreational trapping and commerce in fur pelts.
* Dolphin Protection: He supported legislation to protect dolphins from drowning in deadly tuna fishing nets.
* Crush Videos: He supported legislation which successfully banned the commercial sale of so-called “crush” videos, in which scantily clad women in high heels slowly crushed small animals for the sexual gratification of viewers.
* Bear Protection: He co-sponsored the Bear Protection Act, which would prohibit the interstate and foreign commerce in bear gallbladders and bile, in order to halt the poaching of American bears for Asian medicines, cosmetics, and shampoos.
According to the HSLF, they are a nonpartisan organization that evaluates candidates based only on a single criterion: where they stand on animal welfare. HSLF states that they do not judge candidates based on party affiliation or any other issue.
In the U.S. House of Representatives, HSLF is backing Wayne Gilchrest (R-1st), Dutch Ruppersberger (D-2nd), John Sarbanes (D-3rd), Al Wynn (D-4th), Steny Hoyer (D-5th), Roscoe Bartlett (R-6th), Elijah Cummings (D-7th), and Chris Van Hollen (D-8th). A complete list of HSLF’s endorsements is available online at http://www.humanevoting.com/ .
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.