Haley Stevens: “We are standing here today in support of the PACT Act, to make it a crime to commit abuse that has already been detected…”

“We are standing here today in support of the PACT Act, to make it a crime to commit abuse that has already been detected in videos or the videos that we have made illegal. We need to render the acts illegal. We need to enforce detection. We need to support enforcement writ large. We need to stand up for the rights of animals and stand up against animal cruelty. I come from the great State of Michigan, and this is something that I have heard from my residents from all corridors throughout my district. We are home to great equine farms as well as other establishments that care for animals, and that is a message that we want to put forward. We want to stop animal abuse on the front end and also stop other forms of domestic abuse that may arise from it. I led the Department of Justice appropriations process that directs the use of Department of Justice funds to enforce our Nation's animal cruelty laws. Today, with the PACT Act, we are realizing another important step in protecting the rights of animals and in stopping abuse before it starts.”