Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding and I thank Ranking Member Engel for his leadership in this. I, too, rise in support of H.R. 6197. It is a bill that will combat the illegal wildlife trade by authorizing rewards for information on wildlife traffickers through the State Department's Rewards for Justice program. First, I want to thank the cosponsors, Representatives Donovan and Castro, for their work on this bipartisan legislation, along with Chairman Royce, who has dedicated his career to helping animals in faraway places. Wildlife trafficking generates over $10 billion, annually, for transnational criminal networks. As such, it not only decimates endangered wildlife species, but it also threatens security and fuels corruption. H.R. 6197 gives the State Department another tool to go after wildlife traffickers, and it positively complements the END Wildlife Trafficking Act, which recognizes wildlife trafficking as a serious crime. Together, these two efforts will fuel a multipronged, coordinated approach to combating the illegal wildlife trade and will help to bring the perpetrators to justice. As an advocate for wildlife protections, I am proud to cosponsor this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of it today and end this wildlife trafficking practice.”