[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15214]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        SPORTSMEN'S ACT OF 2012

  Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I would like to make a brief statement 
regarding my vote to support the motion to proceed to S. 3525, the 
Sportsmen's Act of 2012. There are many worthy provisions in this bill 
that deserve our support. However, I remain concerned about the 
provision that would allow the importation of polar bear trophies taken 
in sport hunts in Canada before February 18, 1997. This provision would 
apply to trophies regardless of whether they were taken from an 
approved polar bear population. Prior to 1997, U.S. trophy hunters were 
only permitted to take bears and import trophies from approved 
populations; thus, only trophy hunters who killed polar bears from 
unapproved populations would benefit from this provision of the bill.
  I find this very disturbing. This provision of the Sportsmen's Act 
undermines current wildlife protections, and further imperils an 
already threatened species by encouraging future killings for sport. 
For this reason, I am proud to cosponsor the amendment introduced by my 
two colleagues from Massachusetts to strike this provision. It would be 
my hope that the Senate would pass this important amendment.

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