Monday, December 1, 2008

HSUS Heading to Congress

Humane Society chief seeks animal-rights focus in D.C.
Published Friday, Nov. 28, 2008

Few political groups have been as successful in recent years at shaping state policies as the Humane Society of the United States under Wayne Pacelle.

Now that the nation's largest animal rights group has effectively banned the caging of egg-laying hens in California, it is turning its focus to Washington.

A week after voters here overwhelmingly approved Proposition 2, Pacelle called on the Humane Society's 10 million-plus members "to build on the momentum of that landmark outcome."

In e-mails, the group's executive director urged "friends" to send a message to President-elect Barack Obama urging him to "consider animal protection a priority when appointing his secretary of agriculture."

"We have the potential to be one of the most powerful forces in politics," Pacelle says.

In 2008, the Humane Society shepherded through 88 new state animal welfare laws and capped off the year with its crowning achievement, Proposition 2. Read More

As I have been sharing with you, the HSUS game plan is to build support through ballot issues in several key states and then use those gains to force their agenda through Congress. Even though issues like these have had trouble gaining traction in Washington, DC, we have a new Congress and a new administration so the attitude towards these issues might have changed.

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