Public Policy
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from public policy organizations whose goal it is to influence the debate Washington.
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RIPON SOCIETY: Steil & Lee Lead Effort to Enhance Integrity of American Elections
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- The Ripon Society issued the following news release:
With questions about voting irregularities still fresh on the minds of many American voters, The Ripon Society hosted a breakfast discussion yesterday morning with two leaders in Congress who have introduced legislation intended to help put those questions to rest heading into next year's campaign.
The leaders were U.S. Reps. Bryan Steil (WI-1) and Laurel Lee (FL-15). Steil was elected to the House in 2018 and serves as Chairman of the House Administration Committee. Lee was elected last year after having previously
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- The Ripon Society issued the following news release:
With questions about voting irregularities still fresh on the minds of many American voters, The Ripon Society hosted a breakfast discussion yesterday morning with two leaders in Congress who have introduced legislation intended to help put those questions to rest heading into next year's campaign.
The leaders were U.S. Reps. Bryan Steil (WI-1) and Laurel Lee (FL-15). Steil was elected to the House in 2018 and serves as Chairman of the House Administration Committee. Lee was elected last year after having previouslyserved as Florida's Secretary of State, where she oversaw the way elections are conducted in the Sunshine State. They are the authors of The American Confidence in Elections Act, a bill designed to promote transparency, increase security and efficiency, and make sure states have access to resources and best practices to do elections right.
"It is an election integrity bill that makes it easy to vote, hard to cheat, and is the most conservative and substantive election reform bill that would hit the House floor in probably over 20 years," Steil said of the measure, in remarks to kick off the discussion. "It's got three key pillars. It talks about how we give states the tools to enhance their election integrity, it cleans up Washington, DC, and it protects our First Amendment rights."
Steil and Lee introduced the measure this past July - not in Washington, DC, but in Atlanta, Georgia.
"We went to Atlanta because Georgia passed an election integrity bill that the Left vilified," Steil explained, referring to the state-passed measure that gained nationwide attention in 2021. "President Biden also made false claims about the legislation. Ultimately, many groups would buy into these claims -- including Major League Baseball. Major League Baseball would pull the All-Star game out of Atlanta. So, we went to Atlanta the day before this year's All-Star game to introduce our bill."
They also went to Atlanta, Steil added, to debunk the President's claims.
"The true empirical data tells us almost the opposite of what President Biden said," the Wisconsin lawmaker stated. "What we really saw was a near record turnout. And the University of Georgia did a very significant survey of people's voting experience. People's voting experience was incredibly high."
"That's important, because I believe that as we enhance voter election integrity, what we do is increase people's confidence in our elections. By increasing confidence in our elections, more people are likely to vote and participate -- and that's a good thing."
"As election officials, I would often say we have two jobs," she said, referring to her previous job as Florida's Secretary of State. "One is to get it right -- secure accurate elections with a high degree of efficiency and integrity. And the second is to make sure that we're talking to the public and sharing what we're doing so they walk away with the feeling that they understand what we've done and have confidence in the outcomes and the results.
"One thing that has been a subject of a lot of public discussion of late is the concept of the accuracy of the voter rolls. That is one of the cornerstones of good election integrity -- particularly in states where we're doing voting by mail. And in Florida we do. I think voting by mail can be a good thing. It can be done securely. But in order to do that, it's important that we ensure that a ballot is going to a registered voter and is coming back from a registered voter, and that there are safeguards in place to be sure that that is what's happening.
"One of the most important things that we're doing to help states in this piece of legislation is allowing state and local election officials to access federal databases. For example, the Social Security Death Database ... it's really vital that we be able to identify and provide local election officials with access to that so that they can keep their rolls clean."
According to Steil, making sure states have access to this kind of database and other tools the federal government may have in Washington, DC to enhance election integrity is the first pillar of The American Confidence in Elections Act.
The second pillar of the legislation, the Wisconsin lawmaker continued, addresses Washington, itself.
"Washington, DC has one of the most disastrous election administration operations in the nation," he stated bluntly. As an example, he pointed to a law in the capital city that allows foreign nationals to vote in local elections.
"An individual who is a Russian national working at the Russian Embassy," he noted, "after residing in Washington, DC, for 30 days, could walk out of the Russian Embassy, have their Russian passport in their pocket, walk down to a voting location next year, and vote for Mayor ... Our law ends that practice, because we believe that American elections should be for American citizens."
The two lawmakers also believe, Lee added, that elections in America should also remain under state control.
"We recognize the constitutional principles that are at issue here," she stated. "We have been very mindful in this legislation of doing the things that are appropriate for the federal government to do, not doing the things that should be left to the states, but rather to focus on providing resources."
Steil concurred, and concluded his remarks by expressing optimism that the bill - which has been approved by the House Administration Committee -- would be brought up for a vote on the House Floor in the not-too-distant future.
"Over 50 percent of all House Republicans are already signed on as co-sponsors," he stated. "We continue to work with remaining members to build awareness of this legislation. I am firmly convinced that we'll have an opportunity to bring this to the Floor and pass it, and it will be a significant piece of our Commitment to America."
To view the remarks of Steil and Lee at yesterday's breakfast discussion, please click the link below:
The Ripon Society is a public policy organization that was founded in 1962 and takes its name from the town where the Republican Party was born in 1854 - Ripon, Wisconsin. One of the main goals of The Ripon Society is to promote the ideas and principles that have made America great and contributed to the GOP's success. These ideas include keeping our nation secure, keeping taxes low and having a federal government that is smaller, smarter and more accountable to the people.
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Original text here: https://riponsociety.org/2023/09/steil-lee-lead-effort-to-enhance-integrity-of-american-elections/
[Category: Political]
Over 26,000 Children Flee Nagorno-Karabakh and Need Urgent Humanitarian Assistance--Save the Children
FAIRFIELD, Connecticut, Sept. 30 -- Save the Children, an organization that says it is giving children a healthy start in life, opportunity to learn and protection from harm, issued the following news release:
At least 26,400 children, or one-third of all the people recently displaced, and their families who fled the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia in recent weeks are in desperate need of shelter, food, clothing, hygiene supplies, and psychological first aid, says Save the Children.
More than half of Nagorno-Karabakh's population--or over 88,000 people--have fled to Armenia since violence
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FAIRFIELD, Connecticut, Sept. 30 -- Save the Children, an organization that says it is giving children a healthy start in life, opportunity to learn and protection from harm, issued the following news release:
At least 26,400 children, or one-third of all the people recently displaced, and their families who fled the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia in recent weeks are in desperate need of shelter, food, clothing, hygiene supplies, and psychological first aid, says Save the Children.
More than half of Nagorno-Karabakh's population--or over 88,000 people--have fled to Armenia since violenceerupted on September 19, with numbers expected to increase in coming days.
Save the Children's emergency staff in Armenia say that displaced children from Nagorno-Karabakh are showing signs of severe distress, with some saying they have spent over three days on the road to reach Armenia without any food and water.
In the past nine months, residents of Nagorno-Karabakh have suffered from food and medicine shortages due to the blockade of the road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.
Many parents are saying they are scared to stay close to the border, and once they arrive at the reception centers, they request to be relocated as far as possible from the Azerbaijan-Armenia border.
As cities like Goris reach full capacity, Save the Children's teams are now raising concerns about the safety of displaced children, as some families are left with no option but to sleep on the streets.
Iren Sargsyan, Save the Children's Humanitarian Advisor currently in Armenia, said:
"Children are once again at the forefront of the crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh. Most families have fled to Armenia with just basic necessities and will now have to start from scratch. Many children will have seen violence or lost loved ones. Some parents tell us their children won't stop crying. This situation will put a heavy psychological toll on children, especially those who were displaced and have already witnessed violence during clashes in 2020. It is our responsibility to prioritize their safety and protect their future."
Save the Children is calling for the immediate cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh and for the safety and protection of civilians, particularly children, to be prioritized, in line with international humanitarian law and the rules of war.
Save the Children is running a rapid needs assessment through its local partners in Goris and other areas in Armenia and is planning to support displaced families with cash assistance to help cover basic needs for food and clothing, distribution of relief items like hygiene kits, psychosocial support, and education activities for children.
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Original text here: https://www.savethechildren.org/us/about-us/media-and-news/2023-press-releases/over-26000-children-flee-nagorno-karabakh
[Category: Sociological]
New Congressional Report Calls for Urgent, Integrated Approaches to the Wildfire Crisis
ARLINGTON, Virginia, Sept. 30 (TNSres) -- The Nature Conservancy issued the following news release:
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Report aligns with The Nature Conservancy's Wildfire Resilience Roadmap
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A nonpartisan report commissioned by Congress and published on September 27 offers recommendations to address increasingly severe risk from extreme wildfires and reshape the nation's relationship to fire.
On Fire: The Report of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission lays out 148 federal policy recommendations that address almost every aspect of wildfire management in the United States.
The impacts
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ARLINGTON, Virginia, Sept. 30 (TNSres) -- The Nature Conservancy issued the following news release:
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Report aligns with The Nature Conservancy's Wildfire Resilience Roadmap
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A nonpartisan report commissioned by Congress and published on September 27 offers recommendations to address increasingly severe risk from extreme wildfires and reshape the nation's relationship to fire.
On Fire: The Report of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission lays out 148 federal policy recommendations that address almost every aspect of wildfire management in the United States.
The impactsof recent catastrophic wildfires, including the deadliest fire in more than 100 years in Maui and smoke-related air quality degradation throughout much of the country, have made clear the need to urgently address the crisis of extreme wildfires through policy action.
"TNC is grateful for the vision and exhaustive work of the commission to develop consensus-based wildfire policy recommendations to Congress," said Kameran Onley, managing director of North American Policy and Government Relations for The Nature Conservancy (TNC). "We are encouraged to see such close alignment between the commission's recommendations and TNC's vision for building wildfire resilience, particularly around the need for an 'all hands, all lands' approach to restore forests and return beneficial fire to the landscape."
The commission's recommendations align with TNC's recent publication, in partnership with Aspen Institute, of the Roadmap for Wildfire Resilience: Solutions for a Paradigm Shift. The roadmap also identifies policy recommendations for Congress and federal agencies to proactively build resilience of human and ecological systems to wildfire.
"With the important contributions from the commission and our roadmap, we are excited to get to work with partners and policy makers in shifting to an approach based on restoring and managing landscapes, reducing impacts and improving the safety of wildfire response actions, and enabling communities to better coexist with fire in their landscapes," Onley stated.
Congress established the commission as part of the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act in 2021. The commission was developed as a nonpartisan body with diverse members from all relevant sectors, including representatives from federal agencies; state, local, and Tribal governments; nongovernmental entities; academia; and the private sector. Congress charged the commission with developing a set of comprehensive policy solutions to address all facets of the wildfire crisis, which are laid out in the report published today.
Marek Smith, North America fire director for TNC, was chosen to serve as one of two representatives of 501(c)3 organizations with expertise in forest management and conservation on the 50-member Commission.
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REPORT: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/wfmmc-final-report-092023-508.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.nature.org/en-us/newsroom/new-congressional-reports-calls-urgent-approach-wildfire-crisis/
[Category: Environment]
Market Expert & Investor Advocate Joe Saluzzi Joins the Better Markets Board
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Better Markets, an organization that says it promotes pro-market, pro-business and pro-growth policies to help build a better financial system, issued the following statement on Sept. 29, 2023:
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Better Markets is pleased to announce that Joe Saluzzi, partner and co-founder of Themis Trading LLC, has joined the Better Markets Board of Directors. Saluzzi joins the Board as Adam White, Founder and CEO of Digital Research & Trading, departs after 13 years of service.
"Joe Saluzzi has a deep understanding of the financial industry and the big issues that impact both Wall
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Better Markets, an organization that says it promotes pro-market, pro-business and pro-growth policies to help build a better financial system, issued the following statement on Sept. 29, 2023:
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Better Markets is pleased to announce that Joe Saluzzi, partner and co-founder of Themis Trading LLC, has joined the Better Markets Board of Directors. Saluzzi joins the Board as Adam White, Founder and CEO of Digital Research & Trading, departs after 13 years of service.
"Joe Saluzzi has a deep understanding of the financial industry and the big issues that impact both WallStreet and Main Street," said Dennis Kelleher, Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Better Markets. "Joe is a steadfast advocate for the interests of the buy side and investors broadly. He is an expert in equity market structure, as made clear in a book he co-authored entitled Broken Markets. The book's subtitle is equally important: How High Frequency Trading and Predatory Practices on Wall Street are Destroying Investor Confidence. We look forward to Joe helping Better Markets address the many issues that have created broken markets."
"Better Markets has been a leader in consumer and investor protection for more than a decade," said Joe Saluzzi. "I've long been impressed with their advocacy for sensible and long overdue market reforms. I look forward to supporting those efforts as a member of the Board," Mr. Saluzzi said.
"Adam White served on the Board for 13 years and has provided invaluable expertise and leadership to Better Markets," said Kelleher. "We are all in his debt and very grateful for his service. We wish Adam well and know he will continue to be an ally in our ongoing work to build a stronger, safer financial system that protects and promotes Americans' jobs, savings, retirements and more."
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Original text here: https://bettermarkets.org/newsroom/market-expert-and-investor-advocate-joe-saluzzi-joins-the-better-markets-board/
[Category: Financial Services]
Emergency Right Whale Petition Seeks Overdue Protections From Vessel Strikes
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- The Center for Biological Diversity issued the following news release on Sept. 28, 2029:
Conservation groups filed an emergency rulemaking petition with NOAA Fisheries today to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from being struck and killed by vessels along the U.S. East Coast. Today's filing comes ahead of the upcoming calving season.
The request mirrors a similar 2022 petition, which the agency denied. As an explanation for last year's denial, the agency said it was focusing on releasing a final updated speed rule. Nearly one year later, however,
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- The Center for Biological Diversity issued the following news release on Sept. 28, 2029:
Conservation groups filed an emergency rulemaking petition with NOAA Fisheries today to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from being struck and killed by vessels along the U.S. East Coast. Today's filing comes ahead of the upcoming calving season.
The request mirrors a similar 2022 petition, which the agency denied. As an explanation for last year's denial, the agency said it was focusing on releasing a final updated speed rule. Nearly one year later, however,the agency has not yet released the rule, which would set speed limits for additional vessels and expand the areas where current speed limits apply.
"Right whales can't withstand any more delay on protections, nor should they have to," said Kristen Monsell, oceans legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "Even one ship strike would bring these whales closer to extinction, but speed limits can help prevent that. Federal officials can't sit back and do nothing while right whales are in danger."
The petition requests that the rule be released by Nov. 15, the start of the 2024 calving season, to immediately protect whales migrating to and from the calving habitat in the southeast U.S. In February 2021 a vessel struck and killed a right whale mother and her newborn off the Florida coast. This past February an adult male right whale was killed by a passing vessel off Virginia.
"Just seven months ago, another right whale was killed off Virginia Beach, yet nothing has changed on the water," said Erica Fuller, senior attorney at Conservation Law Foundation. "NOAA Fisheries has proposed a strong rule and their Office of Law Enforcement has made clear they'll do everything they can to enforce it. Unfortunately, special interest groups in Congress have created a campaign of misinformation that now threatens to derail and delay protections. These are unnecessary deaths -- we urge the agency to take action now."
Vessel strikes are one of two primary threats to North Atlantic right whales' existence; the other is accidental entanglements in commercial fishing gear. Since 2017 at least 16 right whales have been killed or injured by vessel strikes. NOAA Fisheries has stated that the loss of even one whale from human causes each year can jeopardize the future of this species. The agency has determined that current regulations are not sufficient to protect the whales in light of shifting distributions of right whales, but no new measures have been implemented in a decade.
"There are no current technological solutions that would prevent vessel collisions better than slowing down, which is why there are speed zones around schools," said Regina Asmutis-Silvia, executive director of Whale and Dolphin Conservation. "Windshield wipers and daytime running lights improve driving safety, but not to a point where we allow cars to speed past schools and it's the same thing when it comes to vessel collisions; there is no better way to protect both boaters and whales other than slowing down when and where right whales are found seasonally."
Today's petition comes after numerous attempts in recent months by special interest groups to prevent any additional vessel speed restrictions. Those special interest groups have cited a need for technological solutions that do not yet exist.
The conservation groups' petition urges NOAA Fisheries to immediately apply the agency's updated rule and asks the agency to make dynamic speed zones mandatory following several reports that vessels are not complying with voluntary measures.
Scientists at the New England Aquarium recently determined that fewer than 340 North Atlantic right whales remain, including about 70 reproductive females. The population has continued to decline from previous years, and right whales only give birth every 3 years to 10 years.
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The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
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Conservation Law Foundation is a regional, nonprofit organization that protects New England's environment for the benefit of all people. We use the law, science and the market to create solutions that preserve our natural resources, build healthy communities, and sustain a vibrant economy.
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WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, is the leading international charity dedicated solely to the worldwide conservation and welfare of all whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
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Original text here: https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/emergency-right-whale-petition-seeks-overdue-protections-from-vessel-strikes-2023-09-28/?_gl=1*1v5ezzi*_gcl_au*OTY2Njg4NjY3LjE2OTYwNTAwNTg.
[Category: Biology]
EMILYs List Statement on Sen. Dianne Feinstein
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- EMILY's List issued the following statement on Sept. 29, 2023:
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EMILYs List President Laphonza Butler released the following statement on the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein:
"Sen. Dianne Feinstein was a titan of the Senate and a legendary figure for women in politics. Entering leadership in crisis, she would go on to repeatedly shatter glass ceilings in a lifetime of service. She was the first woman to be president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the first woman to be mayor of San Francisco, the first woman to serve as U.S. senator from California, the
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- EMILY's List issued the following statement on Sept. 29, 2023:
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EMILYs List President Laphonza Butler released the following statement on the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein:
"Sen. Dianne Feinstein was a titan of the Senate and a legendary figure for women in politics. Entering leadership in crisis, she would go on to repeatedly shatter glass ceilings in a lifetime of service. She was the first woman to be president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the first woman to be mayor of San Francisco, the first woman to serve as U.S. senator from California, thefirst woman to chair the Senate Rules and Intelligence committees, and the first woman to preside over a presidential inauguration.
"Her legacy of groundbreaking leadership is matched by a deep and lasting record of policy achievement. Sen. Feinstein wielded tough government oversight to advance consumer protections and human rights, LGBTQ+ equality, and environmental protections.
"She was a critical voice for women, championing the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent reauthorizations, and fighting for abortion rights and access to reproductive health care for over a generation. She championed gun violence prevention in all political seasons. And her 2014 report on the conduct of the country's intelligence services led to landmark anti-torture legislation.
"The loss of Sen. Feinstein is a loss for all Californians and all Americans."
EMILYs List, the nation's largest resource for women in politics, works to elect Democratic pro-choice women up and down the ballot and across the country with a goal of fighting for our rights and our communities. Our work is centered around a fundamental vision: Run. Win. Change the World. EMILYs List has raised $850 million in service to that vision and has helped Democratic women win competitive elections by recruiting and training candidates, supporting and helping build strong campaigns, researching the issues that impact women and families, running one of the largest independent expenditure operations for Democrats, and turning out women voters to the polls. Since our founding in 1985, we have helped elect the country's first woman as vice president, 175 women to the House, 26 to the Senate, 20 governors, and over 1,500 women to state and local office. More than 40% of the candidates EMILYs List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color. Visit http://www.emilyslist.org for more information.
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Original text here: https://emilyslist.org/news/emilys-list-statement-on-sen-dianne-feinstein/
[Category: Political]
Animal Wellness Action And Wayne Pacelle Mourn Dianne Feinstein
BETHESDA, Maryland, Sept. 30 -- Animal Wellness Action issued the following news release:
Animal Wellness Action and its president Wayne Pacelle paid tribute today to the extraordinary public service of Senator Dianne Feinstein, including her immense contributions on animal welfare.
"Dianne Feinstein was a giant on the national stage on animal welfare public policy," said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. "For 30 years, starting with my advocating with her for the California Desert Protection Act in her first term in 1993, to collaborating
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BETHESDA, Maryland, Sept. 30 -- Animal Wellness Action issued the following news release:
Animal Wellness Action and its president Wayne Pacelle paid tribute today to the extraordinary public service of Senator Dianne Feinstein, including her immense contributions on animal welfare.
"Dianne Feinstein was a giant on the national stage on animal welfare public policy," said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. "For 30 years, starting with my advocating with her for the California Desert Protection Act in her first term in 1993, to collaboratingwith her and team in 2023 in her sixth Senate term to protect the voter-approved farm-animal welfare law Prop 12 from attempts to overturn it, she made a difference for animals. I cherished her commitment, ability, and compassion."
Pacelle recounted the scope of her work to defend all animals from cruelty and to give them safe places to live.
* Protecting Animals on Farms. In 2008, Feinstein was the first major statewide elected official in California to endorse Proposition 2 to provide more living space for breeding sows, laying hens, and veal calves, and then later introduced national legislation that sought to promote a transition for the egg industry to adopt more humane housing. She had been leading the effort to defend Prop 12 from attacks by agribusiness groups to unwind a vote of the people and working to block the so-called EATS Act from advancing in Congress.
* Curbing Slaughterhouse Abuses. She was in the forefront of efforts to halt the mistreatment and mishandling of so-called "downer cows," whose misfortunes were in some cases tied to the onset of Mad Cow Disease in some animals. She worked with President Obama to promote a rulemaking action to ban the slaughter of downer cows in the United States after an investigation at a Chino slaughterhouse revolted the nation.
* Saving California Wildlife and Their Habitats. She was the Senate leader of the California Desert Protection Act, creating two national parks and a national preserve in the state. In 2016 success, she advocated for, and helped to secure, an additional 1.8 million acres of Mojave Desert landscape under the Antiquities Act, building on that original work. Internally, she battled against poaching of elephants and other African wildlife and supported a raft of other wildlife policies to protect wildlife, including the Bear Poaching Elimination Act,
* Protecting Marine Life. She provided important encouragement and support for efforts to get SeaWorld to stop breeding orcas in captivity, which was memorialized in an agreement between key parties in 2016. She promoted rulemaking efforts to protect other captive marine animals and worked tirelessly to halt reckless commercial fishing practices.
* Building a Federal Anti-Cruelty Legal Framework. Feinstein backed legislation to create a national anti-cruelty law (the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act), to build a strong federal anti-animal fighting law with federal penalties, and to push the Department of Justice and other federal law enforcement agencies to do more in battling animal cruelty. She spoke out about the relationship between animal cruelty and other forms of social violence and criminal conduct.
* Helping Horses. She had an enormous passion for horses and was in the forefront for three decades of battling against horse slaughter and the mistreatment and reckless roundups and removal of wild horses and burros from our federal lands in the West. She helped shepherd to passage the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act in Congress in 2019.
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Original text here: https://centerforahumaneeconomy.org/2023/09/29/animal-wellness-action-wayne-pacelle-mourn-dianne-feinstein
[Category: Animals]
