Congressional politics
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, April 1997:
The Fund for Animals Congressional Scorecard for the 104th Congress gave Senators 25 points each for opposing federal subsidies to the mink industry, opposing a moratorium on new Endangered Species listings, opposing funding of the BION space experiments on monkeys, and opposing bills that would have weakened the Endangered Species Act. Achieving 100 each were 13 Democrats and two Republicans: Dale Bumpers and David Pryor (both D- Arkansas); Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii); Tom Harkin (DIowa); Edward Kennedy and John Kerry (both D-Massachusett); Carl Levin (D-Michigan); Paul David Wellstone (D-Minnesota); J. Robert Kerrey (D-Nebraska); Judd Gregg (R-New Hampshire); Frank Lautenberg (D-New Jersey); Ron Wyden (D-Oregon); Fred Thompson (R-Tennessee); Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and James Jeffords (R-Vermont); and Patty Murray (D-Washington). Representatives gained 25 points each for opposing mink subsidies, opposing making hunting an official purpose of the National Wildlife Refuge system, opposing funding of the USDA Animal Damage Control program, and opposing weakening the “dolphin-safe” tuna import standard. Fifty-one Representatives scored 100, among whom the only Republicans were Jan Meyers, Kansas, and Dick Zimmer, New Jersey. The scorecard is available from the Fund at 200 West 57th St., New York, NY 10019.
Pennsylvania activist William Detwiler has announced formation of two new organizations, Rep America and GreenMission. “Rep America,” Detwiler said, “is a national Republican grassroots group that wishes to return the Republican party to its conservancy roots and stop the anti-environmental agenda.” Rep America has a web site at >>http:// www.repamerica.org<<. GreenMission “is an Internet-linked group of schools that gets involved in actively trying to make a difference for the environment.” It has a web page at >>http://www.rep.org/kidpower<<.
