Senate unanimously passes bill making animal cruelty a federal felony, sending it to President Trump

[mysteryowl]

Source: ABC News

The Senate unanimously passed the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, which criminalizes certain acts of animal cruelty.

The bipartisan bill, which was passed Tuesday afternoon, will now be sent to President Donald Trump's desk for his signature.

"Passing this legislation is a major victory in the effort to stop animal cruelty and make our communities safer," said Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., who sponsored the bill in the Senate along with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. "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."

If the president signs it, it will become a federal law.

"There is no place in a civilized society for maiming and torturing animals - period," Blumenthal added. "Senator Toomey and I have spent years working to hold the barbaric individuals who commit these crimes accountable, and I'm glad that Congress is now finally sending our bill to the president's desk to be signed into law."

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/senate-unanimously-passes-bill-making-animal-cruelty-federal/story?id=66788673

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FANTASTIC WIN FOR ANIMALS


This bill previously passed the house in October. I am amazed to even learn of any bills getting past Moscow Mitch for a vote. I am shocked!

[dware]

1. This is just fantastic,

but, will Criminal in Chief actually sign it?
Keeping fingers crossed but afraid I'll be disappointed...……………..again.

[oldsoftie]

18. Even if he didnt, its veto proof. Unanimous!!

[dware]

25. Thank you for that bit of information.

That's good to know.

[Orrex]

2. This is good news. Maybe some day Congress will treat women as well as it treats animals

The GOP allowed the Violence Against Women Act to expire, after all.

[mysteryowl]

4. Hey! Did you hear! Virginia will be the 38th state to ratify the ERA!!!

38 is the magic number! Yes, there will be more to come and attorneys are ready for their supreme court arguments. But it is really close now!

[Orrex]

5. No I didn't hear that, and it's amazing!

Thanks for letting me know!

[mysteryowl]

6. The Equal Rights Amendment May Pass Now. It's Only Been 96 Years! (NYT)

Virginia going Blue yesterday will now be the final state needed to ratify the ERA!
The 38th state!

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/06/us/politics/virginia-ratify-equal-rights-amendment.html

[oldsoftie]

20. But wasnt there a deadline for the amendment that passed by years ago?

[mysteryowl]

22. Yes, but the NYT article spells it out.

However, this is off topic for this thread. Follow the ERA topic:
https://democraticunderground.com/100212661398

[Polybius]

26. It will be up to the courts if the time limit is valid, not the NYT

I'd be willing to bet money that it stays expired.

[cstanleytech]

3. I expect a veto as if Trump likes to keep children in cages the odds are he is pro animal torture to

[Dem2theMax]

12. And the proof is sitting on top of his head.

I'm sure that's an animal of some sort, and it is definitely being tortured.

[rpannier]

13. He'll sign it

It's good PR and, in the Senate, his whole party voted for it
Other than Lindsay and Rand, I'm not sure he'll find too many others that will vote to sustain that veto

[whathehell]

7. Fabulous, and long overdue!

[mysteryowl]

8. Nice to have some good news!

[whathehell]

16. You betcha!

[radical noodle]

9. At the end of the day,

when trump supporters and I seem to have nothing in common at all, the one thing I find is that all of us have a love of animals. If trump refuses to sign this, it will be a blow to many of his supporters. It probably won't be a fatal blow, but it will take him down a notch off the pedestal on which they've put him.

[oldsoftie]

21. It is nice, isnt it

[Grokenstein]

10. Puppet Sharpie might veto it

(1) as a favor to the Huckabees, and (2) to "pwn the libs" and everyone else for not being adequately worshipful of him.

[Shrike47]

24. He'll sign it. Distraction + no skin off his nose. He doesn't actually care about it either way.

[dweller]

11. so because deranged individuals ...

move on to harm people ... sad
self importance once again
😑
all life is precious including this planet ... will we ever learn?

✌🏼

[Thomas Hurt]

14. I am guessing he will veto, I imagine some of his fondest childhood memories are of animal abuse.

[RainCaster]

15. DFT will veto this, he likes to boink goats too much

He can't have that be a crime. He's so innocent and pure.

[pangaia]

17. WOW !Repukes doing something right..

NOW- can we get them to make it a criminal offense to treat Mexican children cruelly??

[mysteryowl]

19. +1

[LiberalFighter]

23. Have they now classifed Trump as an animal?

[Bayard]

27. About time

But, what does this mean:

"The act is limited to interstate commerce and federal property and would not interfere with local animal cruelty laws or enforcement."?

[mysteryowl]

29. I know, we have a long ways to go...

[Archae]

28. Just wondering though...

Will PETA use this law to enforce their stupid agenda?

[mysteryowl]

30. Ouch, slamming PETA and on this thread. Ouch.

[Harker]

31. He'll be too busy pulling the wings off butterlies

and burning ants with a magnifying glass to sign it.

[Toorich]

32. Rural republicans sex...

...lives just took a terrible hit.