HOT ISSUES FOR THE SECOND SESSION
OF THE 105TH CONGRESS
Several issues are already on track for consideration in the second (current) session
of the 105th Congress. Below you will find a brief overview of some of them.
FAST-TRACK TRADE AUTHORITY
President Clinton and a wide range of lawmakers will continue to push for legislation
that would renew the president's fast-track authority for trade legislation. Such
fast-track authority would require Congress to vote for or against legislation
implementing a trade agreement without adding amendments to it -- a process that the
president considers critical to convincing foreign leaders to make trade agreements with
the United States.
In light of the negative developments in U.S. environmental and humane laws following
the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) -- both enacted under fast track -- The HSUS strongly opposes renewing
the president's fast-track authority. GATT and NAFTA have already allowed other countries
to accuse the United States of imposing unfair trade barriers. One example is the recent
change in dolphin-safe tuna labeling brought about by pressure from Mexico and other Latin
American countries.
The United States should not adopt trade agreements that allow other countries to
challenge our domestic policy or allow the degradation of our animal-protection and
environmental laws.
REAUTHORIZING THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
The reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been postponed year after
year. Late in 1997, Sen. Dirk Kempthorne's (R-ID) bipartisan bill, S. 1180, sped through
the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. It could come to the Senate floor at
any time.
The HSUS and many other animal-protection and environmental organizations oppose S.
1180. This bill weakens the ESA by allowing wholesale exemptions, reduced oversight of
federal actions by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, preferential treatment for
industry, and a taxpayer subsidy of habitat destruction. In short, it erodes species
protection. The business community and the Clinton administration, among other groups,
support S. 1180. The HSUS supports Rep. George Miller's (D-CA) H.R. 2351, which requires
the development of recovery plans and provides landowner incentives that don't undermine
habitat protection.
ANIMAL DAMAGE CONTROL
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal Damage Control (ADC) program, funded under
the Agriculture Appropriations bill, spends millions of dollars each year to kill
predators in the western United States to benefit sheep and cattle ranchers. Despite a
congressional directive to use the increasingly available nonlethal methods, ADC agents'
tools of choice are the steel-jaw leghold trap, firearms, cyanide, and poison gas. Agents
kill primarily as a preventative measure rather than to eliminate individual
"problem" animals. The HSUS opposes funding the ADC's western predator-killing
activities at the current level. We will seek to cut funding of this portion of the
program by roughly $10 million. Funding for eastern BLM operations would remain the same.
CANNED HUNTING
H.R. 1202 and S. 995, the Captive Exotic Animal Protection Act, target the trophy
hunting of tame, exotic animals in enclosed areas -- a practice known as canned hunting.
Similar legislation in the House received a hearing in a House subcommittee in the 104th
Congress and obtained more than 125 cosponsors. The HSUS hopes to build on that support.
BEAR PROTECTION
H.R. 619 and S. 263, the Bear Protection Act, would ban the sale, export, import, and
interstate commerce in bear viscera and products containing or claiming to contain them
and would improve the tracking of illegal commercial activity in bear viscera. It would
also direct the U.S. trade representative and the secretary of the interior to discuss
trade in bear viscera with representatives from leading trading nations. The market demand
for bear viscera in East Asia is increasing, and H.R. 619 and S. 263 would help put an end
to bear poaching in the United States to supply this market.
DOWNED ANIMALS
H.R. 453 and S. 850, the Downed Animal Protection Act, would prohibit stockyard owners,
market agencies, or dealers from transferring to or marketing at livestock markets downed
animals -- farm animals who, because of injury or illness, are unable to stand or walk
without assistance -- and would ban downed-animal cruelties at stockyards nationwide.
Currently, no federal law protects downed animals at stockyards.
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