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On Wednesday, July 8th, the
United States Association of
Reptile Keepers (USARK) attended
a Senate Subcommittee hearing on
the Committee on Environment &
Public Works (EPW). It was a
joint Subcommittee hearing in
front of the Subcommittees on
Water & Wildlife and EPW
Oversight. The hearing was
Co-Chaired by Senator Cardin
(D-MD) and Senator Whitehouse
(D-RI). It was a topic-driven
hearing on
'Threats to Native
Wildlife,'
and focused on Invasive Species
and Disease. Senator Cardin took
the lead in running the hearing.
The witness list for the
Subcommittees included:
Gary Frazer, USFWS; Bill Clay,
USDA; Gregory Ruiz, Smithsonian
Environmental Research Center;
Rebecca Humphries, Michigan Dept
of Natural Resources; John
Torgan, Save The Bay, Inc. and
Jeffery Hill, University of
Florida
Senator Nelson (D-FL) made a
very dramatic presentation on
Burmese Pythons, rolling out a
16-foot skin to demonstrate the
size of some specimens. He
characterized the Burmese Python
as a dangerous and invasive
species that is single-handedly
poised to destroy the Everglades
National Park, and spread all
over the southern United States
if his Bill (S. 373) is not
passed in short order. His
characterization was inaccurate,
exaggerated, and sensationalized
to fit the media frenzy
surrounding the prospect of
Burmese Pythons in the
Everglades. He did mention
that he was only interested in
banning the Burmese Python,
although the language in S. 373
still refers to "species python
genre." The terminology is
biologically inaccurate, but
could be construed as ALL
pythons. Press releases
the Senator has issued since the
hearing have not indicated any
change in language.
Pictured above - Senator Bill
Nelson (D-FL) making
presentation on Pythons.
As predicted, the majority of
the hearing was a discussion on
a wide variety of invasive
species issues ranging from
nutria, feral cats and disease,
to beetles, mussels, and noxious
weeds. Many of the
committee members had other
priorities, and halfway through
the meeting Senator Cardin, as
Chair, was the only member left.
In order to provide the best
intelligence and analysis to the
Reptile Nation, USARK spent the
whole day working Capitol Hill.
Following the hearing, Andrew
Wyatt (President of USARK),
escorted by USARK lobbyists Tom
Wolfe and Frank Vitello, took
meetings with key political
figures regarding H.R. 669, S.
373 and H.R. 2811. This is
a list of the meetings they
arranged:
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Senate EPW Committee Staff |
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Senator Ben Cardin's Office |
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House Committee on Natural
Resources, Subcommittee on
Insular Affairs, Oceans &
Wildlife Staff Director |
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Congressman Walter Jones'
Office |
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Congressman Howard Coble's
Office |
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House Judiciary Committee
Staff |
What they learned is this:
Senate Bill 373 ("The Python
Bill") has been given momentum
by all of the media sensation
surrounding the tragic death of
a child last week. It is
possible that the language of S.
373 will be carried by an
unrelated Senate spending Bill
now working through Congress.
Some legislators believe it will
pass before the summer
legislative break in August.
If it makes it out of the
Senate, then its House
'companion' Bill 2811 will
likely pass, as well.
USARK is close to securing a
meeting with Senator Nelson,
hopefully next week, where they
will propose that he drop all
the species of python from his
bill except the Burmese Python.
In addition, they will ask that
he include provisions that will
allow the captive-bred trade in
Burmese Pythons to continue.
Senator Nelson wants to stop the
importation of Burmese Pythons
into the U.S., but his current
proposal will hurt too many of
his constituents. It would
be the death of legitimate
breeders of valuable
captive-bred animals, and
destroy the entire industry
nationwide. USARK has been
led to believe he may be
amenable to their solution. If
successful, they think it is
reasonable to believe that
Congressman Meek may be
convinced to follow suit with
H.R. 2811.
Despite rumors to the contrary,
H.R. 669 is not dead.
A new Senate "companion" Bill will soon be
introduced using H.R. 669 as a
baseline. It is
said that the Bill will seek to
amend serious problems inherent
in H.R. 669 to produce a Bill
more likely to be passed in the
Senate, where it will have more
powerful support than H.R. 669
did in the House.
This will be the next 'Big
Fight!' This is EXTREMELY
DANGEROUS to all pet owners, and
the pet industry in general!!!
Now, more than ever before,
"exotics" pet owners need to
band together in support of
PIJAC (the Pet Industry Joint
Advisory Council), USARK, and
other groups that are fighting
hard to keep H.R. 669, H.R.
2811, and S. 373 from being
passed! Contact your State
Representatives and Senators,
and tell them to vote NO to these
dangerous economy-threatening Bills!
Please keep in mind: an
emotional appeal will not work
on staffers or politicians who,
sadly, simply do not care about
people's rights to own pets.
Only a calm, factual recitation
of facts will sway their
opinions. Here are
a few facts to quote when calling
or writing your Congressmen:
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$43.2 BILLION was
spent on pets and pet
supplies in 2008, and
the pet industry
was anticipating
this to increase
to $45+ billion
in 2009,
despite cuts in
discretionary
spending...
until H.R. 669
became public
knowledge, and
sales of exotic
pets and pet
supplies began
dropping
nationwide. |
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Our legislators are
proposing to eliminate 75%
of that $45+ billion revenue with one
irresponsible stroke of
their pen. |
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More than 60% of all pet
stores nationwide will go
out of business immediately
if H.R. 669 and S. 373 are
enacted into law, because
they specialize
in exotics such
as birds, fish,
small animals,
or reptiles. The
remainder will be severely
damaged. Unemployment
will soar, and
the loss of
revenue will be
staggering. |
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Veterinarian
practices will
also be damaged,
especially those
who specialize
in caring for
exotic pets.
Many of those
practices will
go out of
business, too. |
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If exotic animals are
outlawed, most of the large
pet supply manufacturers
will pull their business out
of the United States...which
will only further the
devastating negative impact these
proposed laws will have on
our economy. |
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Senator Nelson
is, by his own
admission,
extremely afraid
of reptiles.
His Bill is
motivated almost
exclusively by
his irrational
fear of snakes,
and for that
reason alone,
should not be
allowed to pass. |
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If S. 373 and
H.R. 2811 are
allowed to pass,
small
non-aggressive
snakes such as
Ball Pythons
will also be
outlawed.
It will be
illegal to
import, breed,
buy, or sell ANY
kind of python
anywhere in the
United States. |
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Laws are already
in place, in
Florida and much
of the rest of
the country,
that require
licensing of
large snakes and
reptiles.
It is not
necessary to
pass additional
laws outlawing
them completely. |
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An investigation
was held to
determine which,
if any, large
snakes could
survive in the
wild throughout
the United
States.
ONLY the Indian
Python is
capable of
withstanding
moderate winter
conditions
throughout the
lower half of
the United
States...and the
Indian Python is
on the CITES
Endangered List.
They are illegal
to import,
breed, or own in
the United
States.
Therefore they
cannot possibly
be a threat to
anyone in this
country. |
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The Burmese
Python CANNOT
survive outside
the
Everglades...and
despite what
Senator Nelson
and the
Enquirer
might like to
claim, only one
relatively small
colony exists in
the Everglades.
They are NOT
about to take
over the entire
park, and
explode outwards
to destroy every
living creature
in their path.
The colony would
be easy to
eliminate--if
politicians like
Senator Nelson
were not so
eager to keep it
alive in order
to further their
own political
ambitions. |
Immediate action must be
taken in order to
prevent these Bills from
becoming laws!
Call your State
Representatives and
Senators NOW! (And
remember, over 90% of
all Bills are not even
read by the State Reps
and Senators who vote on
them. They rely
almost entirely on the
opinions of their
staffers, who read the
Bills and make their
recommendations based on
their own personal
biases. When you
call your State Rep or
Senator, chances are
that you will end up
talking with one of
those staffers. If
you can change their
minds, half the battle
is already won!) |
