My letter to Senator Jim DeMint

Senator Demint,

Let me preface my message and concerns by saying that I am a big fan of yours. That said, I am extremely worried about legislation soon coming to vote. The bill is S373. I keep and breed Ball Pythons and while this bill in particular will not affect them, if this bill were to pass, then where will the U.S. Congress stop with anti-pet laws? The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is pushing this bill along with sponsor Bill Nelson of Florida to stop the importation and interstate transport of 9 of the larger species of constrictors including Boa Constrictors and Burmese Pythons, two very popular pet animals. This legislation is based upon a report done by the USGS, which has been refuted as "bad science" by 11 independent scientists (the link to both the report and response are at the bottom). I do share Senator Nelson's concern with the Everglades' ecosystem, however, this bill would do more to stop any Captive Bred trade of these animals than it would to stop the problem in Southern Florida. The United States' reptile trade represents approximately 3 billion dollars annually and many companies depend upon it to pay their bills. The passage of this bill would undoubtedly mean thousands of lost jobs and countless dollars lost, not only by the American people, but also by the Government. Please note my opposition when this bill is voted upon and thank you very much for your time.

Report - http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2324

Response - http://usark.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=124

Sincerely,
Dylan Reese