U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam
U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam
An amendment prohibiting animal abuse — one championed by U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) — passed the House of Representatives as part of the 2018 Agriculture and Nutrition Act, otherwise known as the Farm Bill.
The amendment was part of the November 2017 Parity in Animal Cruelty Enforcement (PACE) Act, which Roskam co-sponsored with eight other House members. A release on the website of the Humane Society, a backer of the bill, explained that the rule tightened prohibitions against cockfighting and dogfighting by specifying such acts are illegal in the U.S. and its territories.
“Animal fighting is cruel and inhumane no matter where it happens,” Roskam said in a press release. “It is time that our laws reflect this belief. I am pleased to see overwhelming bipartisan support for this legislation that protects animals against atrocious cruelty.”
The congressman addressed the issue in a closing statement made at a congressional hearing.
By ramping up the penalties for cockfighting, lawmakers hope to stop the spread of Newcastle disease, a virus blamed by the FDA for a costly outbreak in 2002, Roskam said in the statement.
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