Finally, there are some issues that everyone in Congress can agree on, and President Trump is onboard as well. Aside from the significance of the specific pieces of legislation, the ability to come together on meritorious issues is noteworthy.
Rep. Ted Deutch, a Florida Republican, along with Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Florida Democrat, introduced legislation to make animal cruelty a federal crime. The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act (H.R. 724criminalizes certain acts of animal cruelty.) Just briefly before that, legislation was passed approving sanctions on China’s illegal repression of Hong Kong.
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the animal cruelty bill. The Hong Kong measure passed the House by 417-1.
In 2010, Congress passed the Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act, which made the creation and distribution of animal crushing videos illegal. However, the underlying acts of cruelty against animals were not included. The PACT Act closes this loophole by prohibiting certain cases of animal abuse.
Rep. Duetch stated “With
President Trump signing the PACT Act, animal cruelty is no longer just
unacceptable, it is now illegal. We can now finally say that animal abuse is a
federal crime in the United States. Americans have long stood in support of
animal welfare protections, and now our national laws reflect these values.
This bipartisan achievement has been years in the making, and I am proud to
have been a part of this great effort alongside Congressman Buchanan and so
many advocates and passionate citizens who made this possible.”
China’s pattern of flagrant violation of human
rights on an epic scale, and its habitual use of force and intimidation to
steal resources from other nations, was unopposed by the Obama
Administration. Similarly, the former President did nothing of
significance to deter Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The results have
been dire. Beijing has accelerated its
terrible practices in the Indo-Pacific, and operates one hundred concentration
camps on its soil. Putin has designs on recapturing the nations that
gained their freedom following the fall of the Soviet Union.
History has clearly taught that it is wise to put aggressors in their place early on, or face dramatic consequences down the road. The Hong Kong legislation is a start in doing just that.
While both of these measures passed on their own very worthy merits, the ability to put aside the partisan warfare that has characterized Washington on behalf of the national good has gained a small and tentative first step. It should be extended significantly further, and public opinion may just force that result.
According to recent polls, the most extreme example of excessive partisanship, the ongoing impeachment process, is unpopular. It’s a clear result of the almost total lack of solid evidence of any wrongdoing, and the inability of the House Democrats to even believably describe what crime was committed (they are almost comically reliant on “focus groups” to decide what to charge the President with.) The absurdity of the Democrats move is highlighted by the reality that the next election is less than a year away.
There are other issues that should transcend party politics. The need to address key issues, such as providing an adequate defense in a consistent manner, may be the most significant. The need to wrest government from bureaucrats and restore it to electeds is another.
The budgetary and legislative process has, for far too long, emphasized the needs of careerists over the good of the people. Urgent national requirements are held hostage to the schemes of those attempting to pork barrel their way to longevity in their jobs. The urge to embarrass and harass political opponents, no matter the collateral damage to the nation and citizenry, should be met with staunch disdain by the voters. Individuals of good conscience in government must come together to do this.
Photo: American Analysis of News & Media, Inc.