Animal Welfare
As sad as I am to have seen some of the disgusting acts that have pushed animal rights issues into the foreground again, I was pleased that an issue that I have long held so dear has become something that people wish to talk about again.
I've been a member of the Humane Society of the United States for many years. And they announced in February that they are honoring me with a 2007 Humane Champion Award for my sponsorship of the Sportsmanship in Hunting Act, which bans canned hunts. For those of you that are unfamiliar with a canned hunt, it is a hunt in which the animal, whether because of being enclosed in a small space, mistreated, or in extreme cases, drugged, has absolutely no chance of surviving the hunt. While Vice President Cheney's hunting accident in which he shot a friend in the face made for much discussion and fodder for late night TV jokes, what received far less attention was that he was on a canned hunt that day. He wounded his friend by firing at the birds as they were released from captivity.
When the Humane Society Legislative Fund issued their 2007 Report Card (Click here to read the PDF file) scoring the individual members of the 110th Congress, I received a perfect 100% score for my voting record on issues such as the Animal Fighting Prohibition and Enforcement Act, and the Human and Pet Food Safety Act.
I sat on the Board of Directors for the Memphis Zoological Society from 1988-2000, and the Zoological Society from 2001-2006.
In 2006, I received the Tennessee Humane Society's Legislative Achievement Award In Recognition and Appreciation of Continued Support for Animal Rights Legislation.
I take great pride in the accolades that I've received for animal rights issues. And I plan to earn many more of them in the future.