November 25, 2019

USA: President Trump Signed The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act Bill Into Law On Monday, Making It A Federal Felony. Yaaay! 👏 This Is A Historic Day For Animals. 🤗💖👍🎉


The White House published Nov 25, 2019: President Trump Participates in a Signing Ceremony for H.R. 724, the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act

WhiteHouse.gov
Issued on: November 25, 2019

Oval Office

5:29 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. This is a very important signing, and we’ve had two now in a row that are very, very important and inspirational, I might add. Right? When you think of it.

Thank you all for being here today. I’m pleased to sign the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act into law. Animal cruelty. This is something that should’ve happened a long time ago and it didn’t. But the people behind me and others have been incredible, and I just want to congratulate you.

And I ask the same question I asked for another bill that we just signed: Why hasn’t it — this happened a long time ago? And I give you the same answer: because Trump wasn’t President. (Laughter.)

This commonsense legislation restricts the creation and distribution of videos or images of animal torture. It is important that we combat these heinous and sadistic acts of cruelty, which are totally unacceptable in a civilized society.

We’re pleased to be joined by some of the very important people that got this done. And they worked very, very hard on it. Representative Vern Buchanan — fantastic person. Sheriff Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh. Kitty Block, President and CEO of the Humane Society. Jack Hubbard, COO of American Humane. Rory Diamond, CEO of K9s for Warriors. Marty Irby, Executive Director of Animal Wellness Action. Laura Sellards, President and Executive Director of the Warrior Dog Foundation. Lauren [Lauree] Simmons, President and Founder of Big Dog Ranch Rescue. John Thompson, Executive Director of the National Animal Care and Control Association. Sara Amundson, President of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. Tracie Letterman, Vice President of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. Anne [Anna] Marie Malloy, Senior Legislative Specialist at the Humane Society Legislative Fund.

And these people really worked hard together with some of your friends that are in different states all over the country right now, that we were able to get this done a little bit quicker than people thought. And so they send all of their regards, and some of them are watching this right now, as we do this.

From battlefields to hospitals, from the ranches of the frontier to the backyards of America, from animals of service to animals of war, our nation’s animals have played a vital role in the development, settlement, security, and happiness of our country. So true. We had a great dog named Conan here, just a little while ago. It’s very fitting that it was on the same day, but that’s a little bit what you’re talking about. Conan was something and created quite a stir.

We have a responsibility to honor the dignity of God’s creation. With today’s act, we take the critical step toward being more responsible and humane stewards of our planet and all who we want to cherish and take care of, and all of those who live on it.

And I will now sign this very important piece of legislation. And I want to congratulate everybody here. And after I’m finished, I’d like you to have you maybe say a few words to the media, if you’d like. Okay? Thank you very much.

(The bill is signed.)

REPRESENTATIVE BUCHANA: And thank you for your leadership on animals. I can tell you this has been six years and coming — about torturing animals and cruelty to animals. But without your leadership, this wouldn’t be a reality today. So thank you very much, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. Great job. Great job.

See that, Jeff?

MR. IRBY: It’s the first ever anti-cruelty statute in American history. So, you broke another record.

THE PRESIDENT: Oh, wow. That’s fantastic. (Applause.)

MR. DIAMOND: In one stroke of the pen, the President has done more to protect animals and stop animal cruelty in America than anyone in history. That’s incredible.

THE PRESIDENT: That’s really a very nicely put statement. Thank you very much.

------------ click the link to read the rest of the transcript.
ABC News
written by Matt Zarrell
Monday November 25, 2019

Animal cruelty has officially become a federal felony after President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on Monday afternoon.

The bipartisan bill, Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, criminalizes certain acts of animal cruelty. The bill was passed in the Senate by unanimous decision on Nov. 5 after being approved in the House in late October.

"Passing this legislation is a major victory in the effort to stop animal cruelty and make our communities safer," Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said earlier this month when the bill, which Toomey sponsored along with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., passed in the Senate. "Evidence shows that the deranged individuals who harm animals often move on to committing acts of violence against people. It is appropriate that the federal government have strong animal cruelty laws and penalties."

The bill, introduced in the House by Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., and Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., is an expansion on the 2010 Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act, which made the creation and distribution of "animal crushing" videos illegal.

The underlying acts, which were not included in the 2010 bill, are part of the PACT Act.

It will make it a federal crime for "any person to intentionally engage in animal crushing if the animals or animal crushing is in, substantially affects, or uses a means or facility of, interstate or foreign commerce," according to a fact sheet of the bill.

After Senate approval, the bill was sent to the president's desk for signature.

"I’m deeply thankful for all of the advocates who helped us pass this bill, and I look forward to the Senate’s swift passage and the president’s signature," Deutch said in a statement when the House first passed the bill on Oct. 22.

The historic law was also praised by the president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, Kitty Block, and the head of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, Sara Amundson.

"PACT makes a statement about American values. Animals are deserving of protection at the highest level," Block said in a statement. "The approval of this measure by the Congress and the president marks a new era in the codification of kindness to animals within federal law. For decades, a national anti-cruelty law was a dream for animal protectionists. Today, it is a reality."

"After decades of work to protect animals and bearing witness to some of the worst cruelty, it’s so gratifying the Congress and president unanimously agreed that it was time to close the gap in the law and make malicious animal cruelty within federal jurisdiction a felony," Amundson said. "We cannot change the horrors of what animals have endured in the past, but we can crack down on these crimes moving forward. This is a day to celebrate."

Posted by Princess Mononoke at 11:27 PM

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