Make it a federal felony instead of a misdemeanor for anyone who transports a game fowl in interstate or foreign commerce for the purposes to exhibit a game fowl in a fighting venture even in a state where the activity is legal (e.g. Louisiana and New Mexico)…

HSUS successfully lobbied for passage of a provision which would already make it a misdemeanor for anyone who transports a game fowl in interstate or foreign commerce for the purposes to exhibit a game fowl in a fighting venture.  This legislation was snuck into the 2002 Farm Bill and never received a Congressional Mark-up in either the House or Senate Agriculture Committee.  Now HSUS, the same organization that wants to put an end to animal agriculture, sport hunting, grey hound racing, trophy hunting, and rodeos just to name a few, wants to trample further on states rights by making it a felony for anyone transporting or selling a game fowl in interstate or foreign commerce engaged in a fighting venture, even when that venture is legal in a state or foreign country.

Reasons why the UGBA opposes this anti-states’ rights legislation:

10^th Amendment:  This legislation tramples on state’s rights by denying game fowl breeders the ability to travel to a fighting venture in a legal state like Louisiana and New Mexico.  Because HSUS cannot win at the State level (legislation targeting this industry at the respective states has been defeated in the legislatures), it has now targeted the federal level as a means to end an industry it opposes.  

HSUS destroying the economic livelihood of rural America:  For many of our members, game fowl breeding is a way of life and contributes significantly to their family’s income, i.e. sales of game fowl.  The equipment sales for farms, feed for chickens, and transportation related activities (airlines, car fuel, hotels, etc…) also contribute to the economic fabric of the community.

Health:  By supporting the increase in penalties for the new federal law, you are only forcing more breeders to go underground and thus making it more difficult for associations like the UGBA to monitor gamefowl for good poultry health.

Federalizing Animal Rights:  By supporting the animal rights groups’ (HSUS and PETA) federal attempts to legislate the industry, you could be helping them open the door to criminalizing other lawful activities involving interaction with animals such as hunting, fishing, trapping, rodeos and horse racing.  Wayne Pacelle, HSUS CEO, has stated in the past that “our goal is to get sport hunting in the same category as cockfighting and dogfighting.  Our opponents say that hunting is a tradition.  We say traditions can change” (Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Oct. 8, 1991).

Court Challenge: This public law has been legally challenged by the United Gamefowl Breeders Association (UGBA) in the U.S. Western District of Louisiana.  The Judge has ruled in favor of the UGBA by finding that they have standing to go to trial.  The UGBA believes since the federal courts have found that the UGBA has standing to go to trial, we should at least allow the courts to now decide what Congress has already acted on in P.L. 107-171.

For these reasons, we respectfully ask for your opposition to HR 817 and S 382!

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The United Gamefowl Breeders Association (UGBA) was founded in 1975 to represent the interest of gamefowl breeders across the nation.  The UGBA currently represents over 100,000 gamefowl breeders in America and 15,000 dues-paying members in 33 states.  The UGBA’s primary mission is to exchange better methods and ideas toward the perpetuation and improvement of the various breeds of gamefowl, to improve marketing methods, to cooperate with Universities and other agencies in poultry disease control, and to further develop and enhance the general good health of gamefowl.