Political Quotes

“I offer this amendment to deal with the concerns, legitimate concerns, that have been raised. It would close a loophole in the Animal Welfare Act that allows for the shipment of fighting dogs or birds from the United States to foreign countries, and it increases the penalties for promoting illegal animal fighting venues. The current penalties are 25 years old and are in dire need of update. It increases the maximum penalties from 1 year and a $5,000 fine to 2 years and a $15,000. For comparison, the Federal law passed last year prohibiting animal crush videos provided for maximum penalties of 5 years and $250,000 fine; and in most States there are provisions for a maximum of 5 years imprisonment for animal fighting, with some States' penalties as high as 10 years or $100,000. With higher penalties, U.S. Attorneys are more likely to prosecute animal fighting violations. We must increase our quarter-century-old Federal penalties to make them work in today's climate. Closing the foreign commerce loophole is equally important.”