Wildlife and Animal Welfare

As a member of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus and Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries, animal welfare is an important issue to me. That is why I have supported several bills and funding efforts that will further the goal of healthy and humane treatment of animals and will help prevent animal cruelty and abuse. One example I’m very proud of is my work to end the captivity of marine mammals. Along with Rep. Adam Schiff, I co-led the effort in Congress to urge the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to update protections for captive marine mammals, and introduced the Strengthening Welfare in Marine Settings Act to end the future capture and breeding of whales for public display. Our efforts contributed to the historic announcement by SeaWorld in 2016 that it is phasing out orca captivity. 

When legislating, we must consider the impact on our wildlife. That’s why I’ve advocated for provisions to provide safe wildlife crossings, secure native habitats, promote biodiversity, and prevent extinctions. 

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