Animals play important roles in so many of our lives and I am proud of my record as a strong supporter of animal rights efforts to end the abuse of all animals. In fact, the Humane Society of the United States recently named me the “Humane Legislator of the Year” for work done to promote animal rights.

Here in Congress, I am committed to closing puppy mills, phasing out the use of chimpanzees in invasive research, establishing penalties for attending and bringing children to organized animal fights, improving living conditions for farm animals and prohibiting the slaughter of horses for human consumption. There are many bills that I’m proud to cosponsor and have included a list below.

Bills Cosponsored in the 112th Congress:

• H.R. 4306 -  the Captive Primate Safety Act which would prohibit the importation, exportation, transportation, and sale, receipt, acquisition, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce, of any live animal of any prohibited wildlife species.

• H.R.3510, the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act would extend the time that this stamp would be available for the public to purchase for an extra four years. Proceeds will be used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to fund projects for endangered keystone wildlife species including: African and Asian elephants, rhinoceros, tigers, great apes and marine sea turtles.

• H.R. 511 - To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the importation of various injurious species of constrictor snakes.

• H.R. 139 - the Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act is named for two great American visionaries:  Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who set aside the core of the Refuge in 1960, and Democratic Representative Morris Udall, who succeeded in doubling its size in 1980. H.R. 139 would continue the bipartisan legacy of protecting the Arctic Refuge.

• H.R. 198 - the Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act, which would direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program on dog training therapy at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers.

• H. Res. 47 - a resolution to express the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the contributions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

• H.R. 1417 - Battlefield Excellence through Superior Training Practices Act would require the Secretary of Defense to use only human-based methods for training members of the Armed Forces in the treatment of severe combat injuries.

• H.R. 1513 - Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act of 2011 to prohibit the conducting of invasive research on great apes.

• H.R. 2210 - Sportsmanship in Hunting Act of 2011 which would prohibit certain interstate conduct relating to exotic animals and certain computer-assisted remote hunting.

• H.R. 2256 - Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2011 which would amend the Animal Welfare Act to ensure that all dogs and cats used by research facilities are obtained legally.

• H.R. 2492 - Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act of 2011 to prohibit attendance of an animal fighting venture.

• H.R. 2657 - Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act which would end the use of body-gripping traps in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

• H.R. 3704 - Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act to ensure the humane slaughter of nonambulatory livestock.

• HR 3359 - the Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act to restrict the use of exotic and non-domesticated animals in traveling circuses and exhibitions.

• H.R. 965 - Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2011 to preserve the effectiveness of medically important antibiotics used in the treatment of human and animal diseases.

• H.Res. 309 - honors the 60^th anniversary of the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI).

• H. Res 220 -  designates a National Animal Rescue Day.

I want to assure you that I have been a staunch supporter of animal welfare issues throughout my career, both here in Congress and in the California State Assembly. Throughout the years, I have sponsored and cosponsored countless bills concerning the welfare of animals. In addition, as a member of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, I have worked with my colleagues on a variety of different legislative issues affecting both wild and domesticated animals.