ANIMALS’ LIVES HANG IN THE BALANCE
CALLS, FAXES, AND E-MAILS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED

March 1, 2002

To Humanitarians:

A number of animal welfare related measures have been added to the Farm Bill currently pending in Congress.  A Farm Bill has passed each chamber, but since the Senate and House bills are different, a Conference Committee has been assigned to work out the differences and create a final product, which will be sent to the President’s desk for his signature.  Please weigh in on the following three key issues in the Farm Bill immediately!

1.  Birds, Mice, and Rats.  In 1970 the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) was amended to protect all warm-blooded animals used for experimentation.  However, for 30 years the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has excluded 95 percent of warm-blooded animals from coverage under the modest provisions of this law. Birds, mice, and rats, who can suffer excruciating pain in poor, unregulated laboratories and are used by the tens of millions each year, have been denied the protection under the AWA because USDA never drafted regulations to include them.  At long last USDA began correcting this situation by preparing AWA regulations to cover birds, mice, and rats.

Now, Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) is attempting to use the Farm Bill to amend the Animal Welfare Act to exclude protection for birds, mice, and rats.

Ø       Birds, mice, and rats are warm-blooded animals capable of feeling pain.  There is absolutely no justification for the draconian decision to remove them from protection.

Ø       Proper treatment of all laboratory animals benefits the animals—and ensures better quality science.  In fact, surveys show that most scientists want birds, mice, and rats covered.

Ø       The U.S. is the only nation whose federal law to protect laboratory animals excludes birds, mice, and rats.

On the Senate floor, Mr. Helms called USDA’s work to protect birds, mice, and rats as nothing more than “regulatory shenanigans,” and callously claimed that the only reason for USDA’s action on this matter was because the Agency was “weary and browbeat into submission” by animal advocates.  Don’t let Mr. Helms browbeat the Congress into accepting this dreadful amendment to exclude birds, mice, and rats from protection under the Animal Welfare Act.

2. Bear Protection Act.  Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) successfully attached his Bear Protection Act to the Farm Bill in the Senate.  This anti-poaching legislation, which is intended to eliminate the incentive to kill bears illegally and profit by the sale of their internal organs, particularly the gallbladder and bile, must now survive the Conference with the House.  For further information on this issue, please see the attached fact sheet. Click here for a fact sheet. (PDF)

3.  Humane Slaughter Act Resolution.  Both the Senate Farm Bill and House Farm Bill have attached a Resolution calling on the United States Department of Agriculture to enforce the Humane Slaughter Act of 1958 adequately.  Senator Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL) sponsored the Senate language; Congresswoman Connie Morella (R-MD) sponsored the House language.  However, the Senate language is stronger because it contains a requirement that the USDA track violations of the Humane Slaughter Act and “report the results and relevant trends annually to Congress.”  Therefore, we need to let Congressional Conferees know of our support for the Senate version of the Humane Slaughter Act Resolution.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Call or send a fax or an email to your Senator or Representative if he or she is on the Farm Bill Conference Committee.  A list of Conferees is attached.

If they are not on the Conference Committee, contact both your Senators and urge them to tell Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee and Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, how you feel about these animal issues.  Similarly, contact your Representative and urge him or her to tell Congressman Larry Combest (R-TX), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and Congressman Charles Stenholm (D-TX), Ranking Minority Member of the House Agriculture Committee, how you feel about these animal issues.

Write or call now expressing your:

Ø      Opposition to the Helms amendment to the Farm Bill to exclude protecting laboratory birds, mice, and rats under the Animal Welfare Act.  Urge the Farm Bill Conferees to delete the Helms amendment.  (You may wish to include a copy of the letter from Senator Bob Dole, chief sponsor of the 1985 Amendments to the Animal Welfare Act and stalwart supporter of the Act.)

Ø      Support for maintaining the Bear Protection Act in the Farm Bill.

Ø   Support for maintaining the Senate version of the Humane Slaughter Act Resolution in the Farm Bill.

Thank you for all you do for animals.

2002 FARM BILL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE