Great Job... But it's NOT Over!!
Congratulations on a Job Well Done with HR669... but that was just the first Battle. We are fighting a war!
The effort put forth by the Reptile Nation in opposing HR669 was nothing less than monumental. A real letter campaign like that hasn't been seen in a long time. It made a HUGE impression. USARK is so very proud that the community has pulled together like never before to fight this bill. We gained an important preliminary victory... but this is far from over. It was just round one.
USARK has learned that the Defenders of Wildlife, Humane Society of the United States and The Nature Conservancy are going to meet with Delegate Bordallo's Subcommittee Staff in early May. The word is that they will be discussing a rewrite of HR669. They are expected to actually change the bill very little. The idea is to cut deals with the biggest opponents of the bill. We believe any proposal that involves a "white list" or a complicated permit system is a Deal Breaker for the Reptile Nation. That scenario we believe would eliminate the majority of animals and most hobbyist breeders. USARK will never endorse a deal that sacrifices any of our brothers and sisters.
This NEW bill is likely to be reintroduced under a new number in order to lose the stigma of HR669 as a tainted bill. It will cause confusion, but USARK will keep the Reptile Nation apprised of the facts as they develop.
Stay tuned to the latest developments on the USARK website. Prepare yourself for battle.
USARK
