HELP US SAVE OUR INDUSTRY (URGENT)
If you have no idea what the Lacey Act is or what we are fighting for, please watch our latest Youtube video to catch up on the situation-
This is definitely not like one of our regular blogs. What's happening to our pet community is something too sad to put into words. We have been stressing the severity of this topic to you guys for some time now. We have also been trying to warn you about the consequences ahead if you aren't taking action while you still can. We are facing a very challenging fight ahead of us, and now more than ever we need your help to stop the Lacey Act from passing.
IF YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO OWNS OR WISHES TO ONE DAY OWN ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF A DOG, CAT, OR LIVESTOCK, THIS EFFECTS YOU!
REPTILES, SMALL MAMMALS, BIRDS, FISH AND EVERY OTHER EXOTIC!
Below we have included a template letter that can be copied and pasted to send via email to your local senators in order to join in our fight. We have also include links to directly contact senators in some of your states. If you do not see your state included in this post, please use the following link in order to locate your local state senators contact information-
https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm
SAMPLE TEMPLATE
Subject Line: NO to Lacey Act Amendments in America COMPETES Act
Sample letter (also lots of Talking Points below):
I implore you to stop the Lacey Act amendments found in the America COMPETES Act (Section 71102) as your constituent, dedicated advocate for ecological conservation, and pet owner. The lack of forethought involved makes these amendments rife with unintended consequences and government overreach. The Senate’s U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (S1260) and America COMPETES Act (HR4521) will meet to be reconciled. These Lacey Act amendments are not pertinent to the intent of these bills and must be removed! Not only would these amendments be devastating to thousands of businesses of all sizes (which is absolutely contrary to the purpose of the COMPETES Act), but millions of pet owners would be harmed. As seen previously when listing species as injurious under the Lacey Act, a heavy-handed brush is used to paint species as injurious that may only be an issue for one or two states, and hardly any large percentage of the U.S. I cannot elaborate enough on the need to regulate injurious species at the state and local levels, not nationwide by a federal agency. Individual states are best positioned to assess local threats and balance the relative costs and benefits of prohibiting species. If these amendments pass, the Lacey Act will leave pet owners everywhere unable to move across state lines with their family pets. This restriction would include prohibitions of interstate travel for veterinary care, for educational programs, and for relocation of family. The impact will be disproportionately felt by military service members, who are often relocated multiple times during a pet’s lifetime. The federal and appellate courts have already decided that a ban on interstate transportation with injurious species is not based on the original intent of Congress, but a gradual overreach by the federal agency. This upholds that banning interstate transportation is overreaching and that only the localities, or states, with legitimate range matches should consider regulations regarding these species. The interstate transport ban under the Lacey Act is not my only concern. The opportunity for injustice and oppressiveness resulting from the section titled Presumptive Prohibition on Importation is especially disturbing! Rather than this new knee-jerk and supreme authority provided to the federal agency, any expansion of the Lacey Act to create interstate movement bans and a ‘white list/black list’ scenario should include reforms to the injurious listing process, including proof of widespread impact based on sound, peer-reviewed science, and definitely not the biased, pseudo-science witnessed previously. These Lacey Act amendments are far-reaching and, frankly, un-American. Please realize that the Lacey Actamendments found within the America COMPETES Act are illogical and unjust. Thank you for your time and consideration on this matter. Have a good day.
FLORIDA : Marco Rubio & Rick Scott
https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/contact/share-your-opinion
(202) 224-3041
GEORGIA : Jon Ossoff & Raphael G. Warnock
https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/contact-us/
https://www.warnock.senate.gov/contact/contact-form/
(202) 224-3521
CALIFORNIA : Dianne Feinstein & Alex Padilla
https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me
https://www.padilla.senate.gov/contact/contact-form/
(202) 224-3841
TEXAS : John Cornyn & Ted Cruz
https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/node/5853
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/contact/write-ted
(202) 224-2934
New York : Charles E. Schumer & Kirsten E. Gillibrand
https://www.schumer.senate.gov/contact/email-chuck
https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/email-me
(202) 224-6542
WASHINGTON : Patty Murray & Maria Cantwell
https://www.murray.senate.gov/write-to-patty/
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/contact/email/form
(202) 224-2621
IllINOIS : Richard J. Durbin & Tammy Duckworth
https://www.durbin.senate.gov/contact/email
https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/connect/email-tammy
(202) 224-2152