Update on hearing on hr2811

[Wild Bill]

To add to this, I also just got off the phone with Adam and he said that from 8:30 until 10:00 a.m. people need to CALL, CALL, CALL and this time your message needs to be:

I would like to ask that expert testimony is heard before this is taken to a vote.

Everyone needs to flood the phone lines tomorrow morning with this message. This is NOT going before a sub-committee like HR669 did, it's going straight to a vote, and some of the people Adam talked to said that they were not reptile experts, and didn't feel comfortable voting without hearing some expert testimony first. So we need to drill that message home!

Should we ask for a specific expert like Andrew Wyatt of USARK?

[dsirkle]

Thanks Brian and Robin, I will make my calls urging for expert testimony tomorrow.

[rabernet]

Should we ask for a specific expert like Andrew Wyatt of USARK?

Bill, Adam said that we don't need to suggest an expert - they've got folks there who can suggest experts for them.

Here's Adam's update from nohr669.com

Jul 28
QUICK UPDATE: HR 2811
Adam Wysocki Legislative Process, hr 2811 Add you comment

Just got back in the office from the HR 2811 hearing in Washington, D.C. and I wanted to post about what happened.

In case you don’t know, HR 2811 is a proposed bill in Congress that seeks to amend existing legislation to ban the interstate transport, import, and export, of 7 species of pythons. These seven species include one of the most popular pet snakes in the country … the ball python.

Even if you’re not a snake fan, HR 2811 should scare the life out of you. This is the first time ever that the US Congress, without testimony form experts or any facts based in real science, has attempted to ban a species that has been in the pet trade for decades. Pet owners should be very concerned.

At todays meeting in Congress, only three of the dozen or so Congressmen chose to speak … The committee chair read a statement and stated that an amendment would be introduced at the full committee markup meeting to limit the ban to only burmese pythons and rock pythons. It is not clear if captive bred pets will be affected.

The ranking member, Rep Gohmert, called for scientific testimony so that he could make an informed decision. He stated that no one on the subcommittee was a reptile expert.

Representative Wasserman Schultz from Florida called for a ban on even more species to prevent potential future “invasions” (this statement should scare everyone with a pet) … She also lied to the subcommittee and stated that all 100,000 pythons in the everglades were confirmed to be released pets … probably one of the biggest lies perpetrated on the American public.

Tomorrow morning at 10am is the full committee meeting. It’s not a vote, just the next step in the life of HR 2811 … I’ll be there and will report on what happened as soon as I get home.

In the mean time … keep calling!!! …. Tell the committee members that you would like for them to hear expert testimony so that they can inform and educate themselves before HR 2811 goes any further. Even if you don’t own a snake, call … if they can do this to one or two species of pet, they can do it to all of them!

For more information, check out this link at PIJAC. Scroll down to where it says “U.S. House Judiciary Committee To Consider Python Ban This Week” and then TAKE ACTION!!!

Adam Wysocki
www.nohr669.com