Friday, November 21, 2014

Update on the federal Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act

Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) has become the 60th senator to co-sponsor the PAST Act. Here is a review of the current status, via Keith Dane of the Humane Society.

"We have to hope that a) Sen. Reid will decide to make this a priority and agree to move the bill in the few remaining days of the lame duck (and we, Sen. Warner’s office and others are urging him to do that) b) all the Republican Senate cosponsors stick with us and show up and vote for the bill if/when it comes up, and don’t’ succumb to pressure from Mitch McConnell to abandon ship (pressure which he’ll likely apply, especially since he’s going to be their majority leader in January) and c) all the senators who are cosponsors but are retiring or did not win their elections will still come back to Washington and stay until the lame duck is over.

Getting the bill to the floor is largely out of our hands, beyond what has already been done – but contacting Senate cosponsors and urging them to help get it to the floor and vote for it is a worthwhile endeavor at this point.  I don’t think bugging Reid or Warner directly will be effective – they already know how badly we want this to pass."

Both Maryland Senators (Mikulski and Cardin) have signed on as co-sponsors. Contact then to urge them to help get the bill to the floor!

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