PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE DRACONIAN PROPOSALS!
THIS IS ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD SAFETY & HUMANE STANDARDS.
July 19, 2024
Thank you for contacting me regarding the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act.
Driven by consumers, farmers, and food companies, 15 states, including Massachusetts, have recently enacted public health, food safety, and humane standards for the in-state production and sale of certain animal products. In 2016, Massachusetts residents voted in favor of Question 3 to create a law preventing the sale of eggs, veal, and pork in Massachusetts from animals who were inhumanely confined.
Unfortunately, Republicans have introduced H.R. 4417, the EATS Act, both in the House and Senate. If signed into law, this legislation would overturn local agricultural and animal welfare regulations by prohibiting states and local governments from passing laws that interfere with the production and distribution of agricultural products in interstate commerce. I strongly disagree with this bill as it would set a dangerous precedent by preventing voters and state governments from enacting laws that address local concerns. In August, I signed a letter to the House Committee on Agriculture expressing my strong opposition to including the EATS Act in the 2023 Farm Bill. It is critical that states and localities are able to pass common-sense laws that improve animal welfare and regulate the quality of agricultural products coming into their state.
Throughout my time in Congress, I have consistently supported legislation that promotes and expands animal welfare protections. I am a cosponsor of H.R. 3475, the SAFE Act of 2023. This bill would amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption and prohibit transporting, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donating horses to be slaughtered for human consumption. Sadly, tens of thousands of horses are exported internationally from the U.S each year for consumption.
Further, I am a cosponsor of H.R. 5399, the Humane Cosmetics Act of 2023, which would ban the use of animal testing for cosmetic products and disallow the sale of cosmetics developed using animal testing in the U.S. Every year, thousands of animals are subject to cosmetic product safety testing, however, animals testing is unnecessary as scientific advancements now allow for the use of alternative methods to ensure the safety of cosmetic products.
Although these bills are a step in the right direction, there is still much work to be done to expand animal welfare protections in the U.S. As a member of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus and a life-long animal lover, I remain committed to supporting measures that improve both animal welfare and food safety requirements, and I oppose any legislation that interferes with a state’s ability to determine the quality of agricultural products being sold in the state.
Again, thank you for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future regarding this or any other matter of concern. Additionally, you may find my website ( www.keating.house.gov ) to be a useful resource for keeping up with my work in Washington and the Ninth District of Massachusetts.
Sincerely,
William R. Keating
Member of Congress
