November 2, 2006

Animal Welfare Group Urges 50th District Voters to Re-Elect Bilbray for Congress on November 7

WASHINGTON —  Citing him as a supporter of animal welfare policy in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Humane Society Legislative Fund announced today that it has endorsed U.S. Representative Brian Bilbray in California’s 50th Congressional District race.

“In order to pass humane laws, we need humane lawmakers like Representative Brian Bilbray,” said Richard Patch, political director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “Voters in California’s 50th District who care about animal welfare should support his re-election.”

During his tenure in the U.S House of Representatives, Brian Bilbray has demonstrated his strong support of animal protection issues and has consistently scored high marks on the Humane Society Legislative Fund’s Humane Scorecard. Some of the animal welfare issues supported by Representative Bilbray 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.
• 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.
• Steel-Jaw Leghold Traps: He voted for an amendment to bar the use of steel-jaw leghold traps and neck snares for commercial or recreational purposes on National Wildlife Refuges.
• Crush Videos: He co-sponsored a bill to prohibit commercial distribution and sales of animal cruelty depictions, including “crush” videos, in which women wearing stiletto heels slowly crush animals for the sexual gratification of viewers.
• Bear Protection:  He co-sponsored a bill to prohibit interstate and international shipment of bear parts in order to halt the poaching of American bears used in traditional Asian medicine.
• Chimpanzee Sanctuaries:  He co-sponsored legislation to establish a national sanctuary for chimpanzees no longer used in medical research.

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.

--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.fund.org.