[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 54 (Wednesday, March 28, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          ANIMAL FIGHTING PROHIBITION ENFORCEMENT ACT OF 2007

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                               speech of

                            HON. STEVE KING

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 26, 2007

  Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, on February 7, 2007, the House 
Committee of the Judiciary passed by voice vote H.R. 137, the Animal 
Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2007. This is a bad piece of 
legislation that will greatly devalue human life in the eyes of the 
law.
  H.R. 137 would make it a federal felony to transport a chicken across 
state lines for the purpose of exhibiting it in a fight. Currently, 49 
states have laws on the books to address this issue. To add a federal 
law would add another layer of bureaucracy to an already complicated 
legal code.
  I believe that human life is diminished by our making it a felony to 
transport animals for fighting, without first making it a felony to 
take a minor girl across a state line for an abortion. It is a strong 
conviction of mine to fight for the sanctity of life.
  While I believe that it is important that we act humanely in our 
treatment of animals, I do not believe that we should put their welfare 
ahead of unborn babies or minor girls. I call upon the Humane Society 
to work for humanity to humanity first.
  Until we provide a higher standard of protection for human life, I 
will oppose making interstate transportation of animals for purposes of 
animal fighting a felony. In the U.S., we are faced with the alarming 
practice of people taking a minor girl across state lines for an 
abortion to avoid their own state's laws that require the minor's 
parents to be notified. Federal legislation, CIANA, the Child 
Interstate Abortion Notification Act, would only make this abhorrent 
activity, which exploits a young woman and kills her child, a 
misdemeanor. Though this legislation has not yet become law, it is a 
step forward in the right direction. Many who I know opposed CIANA in 
the past will vote today for the misdemeanor in current law, 
transporting a chicken, to become a felony, thereby placing animal 
welfare over that of a young girl and her unborn baby.
  I believe that we should not place more value on animal life than we 
do on human life. It makes no sense that killing a person is a 
misdemeanor offense while transporting animals to a fight is a felony, 
punishable by three years in a federal penitentiary.
  Mr. Speaker, while on the topic of valuing human life, I would like 
to talk briefly about bio-medical research, which is opposed by animal 
rights activists. I would like to mention that there is bio-medical 
research being done demonstrating, through transgenics, that the immune 
system from a baboon, or a human for that matter, can be spliced into 
the DNA of a hog to grow a heart a baboon can use.
  The heart was then harvested from the hog and transplanted to a 
baboon. The baboon lived another 6 months with a heart that was grown 
in a pig. This is longer then the first human heart transplant patient.
  But what has been proven now is that humans can transplant through 
transgenics the human immune system into a hog. In doing so, and we are 
only 3 years, maybe 4 years away from being able to custom build the 
human organ. rejection genetics into a pig.
  We will be able to very soon custom raise human organs in hogs. Today 
we are already transplanting out of hogs and into humans anterior 
cruciate ligaments and heart valves.
  We can raise in hogs 28 different organs. Not just hearts, but lungs, 
esophagus, stomach, bladder, but other important organs as well, 
kidneys, pancreas, liver, even skin for bum patients; name your organ. 
Except for the brain.
  The reason for bringing up these pigs is that it further illustrates 
how the animal rights community, through legislation such as H.R. 137, 
seeks to pass their agenda for animals on the rest of America. They 
oppose using animals for lifesaving research like I just mentioned.
  My home state of Iowa is an agricultural state. We understand the 
importance of animal husbandry and good stewardship of our animals. 
However, we also understand that animals are less important than 
humans. Animal rights activists seek to place heifers and hogs on the 
same level as people. I disagree.
  I strongly oppose this legislation because animals should not be 
elevated above humans. Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to 
oppose this legislation.

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