If you think HR3501 - "Happy Act" is too good to be true - check the
following links before you make your decision to support it.
Spread the word
L & Ken
Monthly National Legislation Report
http://mnlreport.typepad.com/the_monthly_national_legi/
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http://www.taxgirl.com/tag/thaddeus-mccotter/
Clearly, animal rights groups think this is a good idea. "We think
this is as much a health care bill as any," said Nancy Perry, vice
president of government affairs at the Humane Society of the United
States. "It's a human health issue to ensure that pets are provided
with better care because of the role they play in our families."
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/fec/?id=851&cycle=2007-2008
Humane USA contributed to McCotter campaign
http://www.hsus.org/legislation_laws/federal_legislation/companion_animals/
Bill Status: Pending
Pet
Care Tax Deduction
Bill Number: H.R. 3501
HSUS Position: Support
Legislature Status: In Session
To amend the Internal Revenue Code to allow a deduction of up to
$3,500 for veterinary and other pet care expenses for qualified pets
(defined as "legally owned, domesticated, live animals").
audio interview with McCotter,starts at 6:11 (pets are "family")
http://audio.wrko.com/m/audio/26691658/howie-and-congressman-thaddeus-mccotter.htm
ASPCA is also supporting it on their
website.
https://secure2.convio.net/aspca/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2605
HSUS Endorses McCotter
http://www.fund.org/press-releases/2008_endorsements_mi.html
Humane Society Legislative Fund Announces Endorsements in Michigan
Congressional Races
Animal Welfare Group Will Target Rep. Joe Knollenberg in Michigan's
9th District
WASHINGTON (Aug. 11, 2008) Citing theirr leadership and support of
animal protection policies, the Humane Society Legislative Fund
announced its endorsement of 11 Michigan candidates for U.S. Congress
in the general election. The group also announced that it will run an
independent campaign to defeat Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-9th), one of
the leading enemies of animal welfare in Congress.
"In order to have humane laws, we need to elect humane lawmakers,"
said Sara Amundson, executive director of Humane Society Legislative
Fund. "We urge Michigan voters to elect candidates who support the
humane treatment of animals."
Several members of Michigan's federal delegation, both Democrats and
Republicans, have been leaders for the humane treatment of animals.
For example:
* Sen. Carl Levin (D) introduced S. Res. 118, a resolution urging
the Canadian government to end the annual slaughter of hundreds of
thousands of baby harp seals for their fur pelts, and he is the
leader of an annual effort to secure adequate funding for the
enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, the Humane Methods of
Slaughter Act, and the federal law to combat dogfighting and cockfighting.
* Rep. John Conyers (D-14th) is the lead author of the Prevention
of Equine Cruelty Act, H.R. 6598, which seeks to stop the export of
American horses for slaughter in foreign countries, and the Animal
Cruelty Statistics Act, H.R. 6597, which would require the collection
of data on animal cruelty crimes nationwide.
* Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-11th) authored a resolution, H. Res.
419, recognizing National Dog Bite Prevention Week and calling on
communities to adopt dog bite injury prevention programs and laws
encouraging responsible dog ownership.
* Rep. Dale Kildee (D-5th) has consistently received a perfect
score of 100 percent on the annual Humane Scorecard for his support
and co-sponsorship of animal protection bills.
HSLF has endorsed two challengers looking to unseat incumbents who
are enemies of animal welfare. The group is supporting Gary Peters
(D) over Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-9th) and Mark Schauer (D) over Rep.
Tim Walberg (R-7th). Peters and Schauer both supported common-sense
animal protection policies in the state legislature, while
Knollenberg and Walberg have among the worst records on animal
cruelty issues in Congress.
HSLF plans to launch an independent campaign in the 9th District to
inform Oakland County voters of Rep. Knollenberg's terrible record on
animal welfare. Throughout his career in Washington, he has opposed
modest animal welfare reforms, including efforts to halt horse
slaughter for foreign consumption; stop the processing of animals who
are too sick or injured to walk to slaughter and pose a greater
threat of spreading "mad cow disease;" stop wealthy American trophy
hunters from shooting threatened polar bears in the Arctic; stop the
trophy shooting of bears over piles of grease and jelly doughnuts on
national forests and other federal lands; stop the use of steel-jawed
leghold traps and wire neck snares on national wildlife refuges
inhumane and unsporrting practices opposed by responsible hunters;
and protect dolphins from drowning in tuna nets.
Although he claims to be a fiscal conservative, Knollenberg voted to
use tax dollars to promote the trophy hunting of elephants in Africa,
and to give a $2 million annual subsidy to the luxury mink coat
industry. He voted twice to spend millions of dollars to kill
predators with cruel traps and poisons as a government subsidy for
private ranchers, and he sought to de-fund the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's enforcement of the federal law to combat animal
fighting thee same law that was later used to break up Michael Vick's
dogfighting ring.
Walberg, in his first term, has also been terrible on animal
protection issues. He scored a 17 on the most recent Humane
Scorecard, and voted to allow the commercial sale and slaughter of
wild horses, to promote the trophy hunting of threatened polar bears,
and to continue the trade in dangerous primates as exotic pets.
HSLF is a nonpartisan organization that evaluates candidates based
only on a single criterion: where they stand on animal welfare. HSLF
does not judge candidates based on party affiliation or any other issue.
ENDORSEMENT IN U.S. SENATE RACE
Carl Levin (D)*
ENDORSEMENTS IN U.S. HOUSE RACES
DISTRICT 3: Vernon Ehlers (R)*
DISTRICT 5: Dale Kildee (D)*
DISTRICT 6: Fred Upton (R)*
DISTRICT 7: Mark Schauer (D)
DISTRICT 8: Mike Rogers (R)*
DISTRICT 9: Gary Peters (D)
DISTRICT 11: Thaddeus McCotter (R)*
DISTRICT 12: Sander Levin (D)*
DISTRICT 13: Carolyn C. Kilpatrick (D) *
DISTRICT 14: John Conyers, Jr. (D)*
*Incumbent
