Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2018

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 6720, the Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2018.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my colleague, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Abraham) and this bipartisan legislation. The Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act calls for an end to the global dog and cat meat trade.

Sixty-eight percent of Americans own pets. We treat our pets as members of the family. That is why I am surprised to learn that we don't already have a law on the books that prevents the killing of dogs and cats for their meat.

While this remains an extremely rare issue in the United States, the practice does occur elsewhere in the world. By passing this bill, Congress will outlaw the slaughter and transfer of dogs and cats for human consumption in the United States.

The farm bill currently in conference includes similar language from both the House and the Senate, so regardless of what our colleagues across the Hill do on this important issue, we can send an important message today.

With this legislation, we have the chance to be a leader and set an example for those countries in which the cat and dog meat trade is most prevalent, including South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, China, and elsewhere. By passing

this bill, we draw a clear line on this issue and send a message to the world that we will hold countries who abide this practice accountable.

It should be pointed out that while prohibiting the killing of dogs and cats for food may be seen as a no-brainer, this legislation does take a sensitive approach to the issue with regard to the diverse cultural practices within our great Nation.

I appreciate the work of the two gentlemen from Florida, Messrs. Buchanan and Hastings, and their leadership on this issue. It is an opportunity to come together, and we should be united in our opposition to this unconscionable practice.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), my very distinguished colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 6720, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my distinguished colleague and good friend from the Virgin Islands as well as the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana for putting this measure forward today.

Obviously, I support H.R. 6720, to prohibit the slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption. I was pleased to join my distinguished colleague and co-chairman of the Florida delegation, Congressman Vern Buchanan, in reintroducing the measure.

It might surprise you to learn that consumption of dogs and cats is still legal in 44 States, where there are no laws prohibiting the purchasing, shipping, transporting, selling, or donating of dogs or cats to be slaughtered for human consumption. This bill would prohibit these actions and impose penalties to ensure that individuals involved in the dog or cat meat trade are held accountable.

The United States' position on this cruel and brutal practice should be unequivocal: Dogs and cats should not be killed in this country for the consumption of their meat. It is with the utmost importance that we unify our animal cruelty laws in all 50 States and explicitly ban the torture and killing of dogs and cats for human consumption.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Buchanan for his steadfast leadership in raising awareness on animal welfare issues in Congress, and I also give a big shout-out to all those who have helped us put this measure together in the United States, the number of people who have been involved.

I hope this body will expeditiously pass the measure. Doing so will reaffirm the United States' commitment to the humane treatment of our most beloved companions.

I might add, I misspoke a minute ago when I said the 50 States. I mean the 50 States and its territories should explicitly ban the torture.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6720) to prohibit the slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6720, to prohibit the slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption, and for other purposes.

While this practice is completely unacceptable in the United States, only four States explicitly ban it. This patchwork of State laws does not signal the appropriate protection we Americans expect for our beloved pets and companions.

To credibly condemn the international dog and cat meat trade, including the Yulin Dog Meat Festival in China, the United States must send a clear message that this practice is completely unacceptable. This overwhelmingly bipartisan legislation is a crucial step in doing just that.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), my distinguished colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I simply urge all Members to join me in support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues today to voice my strong support for H.R. 6720, the Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2018. It is critical that every single Member of this Chamber live up to our responsibilities to be a voice for the voiceless, and banning the individual sale of dog and cat meat is vital, clearly, to fulfilling that obligation.

Mr. Speaker, in my district of Bucks and Montgomery Counties, as is the case across this Nation, our pets are members of the family who contribute greatly to our society. In particular, dogs serve as invaluable partners in law enforcement, our military, and as service animals.

Today, we have before us bipartisan, commonsense legislation that protects these animals at the most basic level. It seems obvious that, in this day and age, dogs and cats are not edible species, period.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Florida (Mr. Buchanan) for introducing this vital legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it in a bipartisan fashion to show a united front against the horrors of the dog and cat meat trade.