Above: Rep. Blumenauer Receives Award from the American Humane Society President, Timothy M. O'Brien

Representative Blumenauer Receives the Humane Legislator of the Year Award from the American Humane Society

Washington, DC - The American Humane Association (AHA) announced that it has awarded Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) with the Humane Legislator of the Year award. AHA said that it chose Representative Blumenauer to receive this honor based on his support for important animal issues before the 106th Congress. Awardees were honored at a reception in the Rayburn House Office Building on Wednesday, May 12.

"Representative Blumenauer has shown himself to be a true friend to animals during the current Congress," said Timothy M. O'Brien, AHA's President. "For 123 years, the American Humane Association has worked to protect animals and children from abuse, cruelty and neglect. We're glad to have Representative Blumenauer joining us in that fight and to present him with a Humane Legislator of the Year Award."

In presenting its Humane Legislators of the Year awards, AHA considered the support Members of Congress have given on a key issues affecting animals under consideration by Congress. Among the issues supported by Representative Blumenaeur are:

· The lethal predator control amendment to H.R. 1906, Agriculture Appropriations, which would cut money from the taxpayer subsidy for western ranchers and discourage the use of lethal trapping methods.
· The steel jaw leghold trap amendment to H.R. 2466, Interior Appropriations, which would restrict taxpayer funding of programs that allow commercial or recreational trapping on national wildlife refuges using steel jawed leg hold traps or neck snares.
· The dolphin protection amendment to HR2670, Commerce, Justice, State, Judiciary Appropriations, which would have limited U.S funding of the international tuna fishing convention. This convention allows deadly nets to be used on dolphins.
· H.R. 1887, which prohibits distribution and interstate commerce of depictions of animal cruelty, mainly so-called "crush videos"
· H.R. 1275, which would close a loop hole in the Animal Welfare Act that allows some interstate shipment of bird fighting and undermines enforcement of the cockfighting ban in 47 states.
· H.R. 443, which would require humane euthanasia of farm animals too sick or injured to walk into slaughterhouses. The legislation would also prohibit the sale of such animals.

Bridge photo above courtesy of The Bridges of Portland, Oregon by Andrew Hall.