President Trump signs bill making animal cruelty a federal felony

[Calista241]

Source: ABC News

Animal cruelty has officially become a federal felony after President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on Monday afternoon.

The bipartisan bill, Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, criminalizes certain acts of animal cruelty. The bill was passed in the Senate by unanimous decision on Nov. 5 after being approved in the House in late October.

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

The bill, introduced in the House by Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., and Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., is an expansion on the 2010 Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act, which made the creation and distribution of "animal crushing" videos illegal

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-trump-sign-animal-cruelty-bill-law-making/story?id=67295654

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At least something decent crossed this man’s desk.

[Mr.Bill]

1. Great.

Another thing he can pardon people for. Trust me, that's why he signed it.

[dewsgirl]

2. Why? You know he doesn't give two shits. It's a shame

when he does anything positive, we know there is an ulterior motive. Especially when he knows, not signing it would piss us off.

[Jedi Guy]

20. I don't think there's an ulterior motive at all. What ulterior motive would he have here?

I think you were right: he doesn't care one way or another. Signing it doesn't hurt him personally or politically, whereas not doing so would definitely hurt him politically. He's never been known as an animal lover, and in fact has said he doesn't like pets, but that doesn't translate to being in favor of animal cruelty.

And yes, I know Uday and Qusay are big game "hunters," but I'd be willing to bet there's a provision in the law that exempts normal hunting and other sport activities that involve animals. Hunting doesn't automatically equate to cruelty/torture.

[dewsgirl]

27. I hope so, I am always leery when he does anything positive.

I remember back when he passed the first animal related bill, it was giving hunters the ability to shoot hybernating bears.😔 He is a monster, all the way down to his core.

[LiberalLovinLug]

39. I find a mixed crowd when I frequent animal abuse cases on YouTube

Whenever anything political is broached. Seen comments how it must have been Democrats that are the abusers etc.. So its a win win for him. Even though he personally has no love of animals.

Many Republicans have the uncanny ability of separating love and empathy for animals, and love and empathy for humans that don't look or talk or worship as they do. Many Republican hunters that have loyal dogs.

I'm sure that if the RW radio and TV and internet had been screaming how dogs were sent from Satan and a dire threat to the nation the last 10 years. Suspicious how they treat every human equally....like socialists! By now no Republican would own a dog.

[sinkingfeeling]

3. First time I've ever appreciated something he's done or said.

[Farmer-Rick]

4. So is this going to apply to chicken and pig factory farms?

A lot of cruelty is going on there. Some really awful stuff.

[Blue_playwright]

16. Make chick grinding comes to mind... nt

[Farmer-Rick]

34. True they do crush the day old chicks if they are injured or

If they have too many males. There are more humane ways.

So that's very specific.

[sl8]

26. Maybe, if they're making or distributing crush videos, using interstate commerce.

That's assuming they don't meet the criteria for exceptions to the law.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/479

[Kurt V.]

29. 1st thing i thought too. it doesn't

https://www.greenmatters.com/p/house-passes-pact-act-animal-cruelty-felony

[Farmer-Rick]

33. Thanks for the link

So the factory farm will continue to abuse animals anyway they want. Cause they make big bucks off the torture and abuse of animals and that's AOK by capitalists.

[Xolodno]

5. Well...

I'll tack that to him as one good deed. But, that was kind of a given. Refusing to sign that would make him look even worse and he knows that.

Nixon at least gave us the EPA and Clean Water Act. And Trump still doesn't measure up to that.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

6. Refugees can now just walk across the border and moo like Devin's cow and...

the tRump administration will have to provide them fair and humane treatment......

[SonofDonald]

11. Refugees, first thing that came to mind for me

I'm beyond beyond disgusted

[LeftInTX]

7. The scope of this bill is extremely limited

For instance it would only apply to areas controlled by the federal govt, such as military bases etc

[C Moon]

18. That is strange. It's almost like a setup for use as a tool.

[DENVERPOPS]

8. Trump just wants to

Trump just wants to make sure he and his group don't get euthanized or mis treated if they get sent to prison.......LOL

[emmaverybo]

9. Only good thing he has ever done.

[raccoon]

32. You beat me to the post. Nt

[Miguelito Loveless]

10. Why?

Is he planning on charging Biden with yelling at a dog?

[BigmanPigman]

12. The single, humane act he has ever done in his whole life.

Maybe he signed it because he was about to have a photo op with a dog today and didn't want the dog to bite his balls off in revenge.

[mahina]

45. Ha!

[mysteryowl]

13. This is good.

It is a good start, we have a long ways to go with legislation to protect animals.

We never see repubs do something for the sake of justice and compassion. I wonder who paid them off.

[Capt. America]

14. So far the only good thing he has done. Stats so far: bad things, 23097; good things 1.

[Doreen]

15. That is very good.

I am however suspicious. What is in it for him?

Did all of the animals agree to investigate Biden?

[Harker]

17. After repeatedly validating interpersonal cruelty.

What a dope.

[Quackers]

19. Animal crushing videos?

I didn’t even know that was a thing.

[dalton99a]

21. He had to sign it because he couldn't veto it

The asshole has no love for animals

[NotHardly]

22. Apparently the prisons are not full enough yet.

Yes, animal cruelty is awful but do we need another way to put folks in federal prison.

OH, and it is a falacy that "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." Margaret Mead first wrote about it and later admitted she skewed the data and those that followed have done precious little research to support the assumption. The 'terrible triad' was and is an FBI fiction.

[hlthe2b]

24. False and I will leave it there. Your post is very offensive and false.

[Farmer-Rick]

36. Well true there are too many people in jail but the data is very clear

I use to work with child abusers and let me tell you, even a lot of the child abusers started with abusing pets first.

But the idea that Margaret Meade was wrong and rigged her data comes from John Derek Freeman who seemed to want a fight with the anthropology community following a nervous breakdown. He himself may have been a victim of vicious, unsupported attacks on his work.

So no, Margaret Mead did not cherry pick her data.

[hlthe2b]

23. He gets no credit. It was passed with veto-proof margins in both House & Senate.

Trump really had no choice.

[dalton99a]

35. Exactly.

[sl8]

25. Bill summary, links:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/724/all-info

Summary:

Passed House (10/22/2019)
Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act or the PACT Act

This bill revises and expands criminal provisions with respect to animal crushing.

It retains existing criminal offenses that prohibit knowingly creating or distributing an animal crush video using interstate commerce. The bill also adds a new provision to criminalize an intentional act of animal crushing. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to seven years, or both.

It provides additional exceptions for conduct, or a video of conduct, including conduct that is (1) medical or scientific research, (2) necessary to protect the life or property of a person, (3) performed as part of euthanizing an animal, or (4) unintentional

[greymattermom]

28. So if his followers think that certain people are, for example, rats,

does this bill prevent cruelty against them?

[duforsure]

30. While he pardons murders ,

And is cozy with murderous dictators saying their his friends.

[tavernier]

31. I think he misread it.

[Bengus81]

37. Hmmm....it only takes an Impeachment rap to get him to sign something like this.........

Meanwhile he would have LOVED to take ALL medical insurance away from 20M+ people almost three years ago.

[usaf-vet]

38. How about a bill protecting children from separation & detention cruelty on the US southern borders!

[BHDem53]

40. Good. Lock him up for past crimes.

[Politicub]

41. This is a very narrow bill. It applies to animal crushing videos and that's it.

I didn’t even know those were a thing, but apparently there’s a sick segment of society that gets off on seeing animals crushed underfoot or in other ways. Sick.

The title of the bill makes it sound like it is a law that covers all forms of animal cruelty. It most certainly does not. Don’t allow the feel-good title to lull you to sleep about animal cruelty. We have a long way to go to protect animals.

The text of the bill is quite brief. Read it here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/724/text

[Zaphod42]

42. So much eyewash...

It's hard for me to see how much impact this will have on actual animal abuse cases, but I'm sure it makes the professional political class feel better about itself going into this holiday season. See? We passed a bill...a nice, warm and fuzzy bill. Sigh....

I've had animals all my life, and they have been treated well, and mourned mightily when they passed-as all living things should be. Just about 20 minutes ago, my son-in-law and I just finished burying our 13 year old Bella, a pit/bull mastiff mix. She weighed about 125 lbs, so it was not a little hole....

I've just always wondered how we can spend so much on our animals, and have so much passionate discussion about animal cruelty, when we afford our fellow human beings, so many of whom suffer from the same ailments...hunger, violence, and homelessness, much less time and attention.

Not a well worded post. Sorry, it's been a crappy day.

[zanana1]

43. He actually did something good.

Have to give credit where it's due.

[lagomorph777]

44. Trump administration reportedly approves trophy hunter's permit for endangered rhino remains

https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-administration-reportedly-approves-trophy-hunters-permit-endangered/story?id=65456919

So Trump's record of assholiness is still intact.