Rep. Steve King (R-IA) is making one thing very clear: As a representative from an agricultural, meat-producing state, he really does not like the Humane Society.
King released a statement yesterday criticizing the presence of the Humane Society at a recent National 4-H Conference. In the release, King says the Humane Society has a hidden vegetarian agenda “to take meat off everyone’s table in America.”
“The Humane Society of the United States is a political machine masquerading as an umbrella organization for local humane societies,” King said. “HSUS bills itself as an animal care organization but it spends less than 1% of its $100 million annual budget on direct animal care. Instead, HSUS solicits money from well-intentioned but often uninformed animal lovers and uses these donations to lobby Congress for an anti-meat, anti-animal agriculture agenda. HSUS is run by vegetarians with an agenda whose goal is to take meat off everyone’s table in America.”
Late Update Humane Society CEO Wayne Pacelle gave TPM this statement: “Representative Steve King isn’t one to talk about animal welfare, since he has one of the most appalling records on animal protection in Congress. He has opposed disaster planning for pets, strong penalties for dogfighters and cockfighters and other common-sense policies. The Humane Society of the United States provides direct care to more animals than any other animal welfare group in the nation, spending more than $20 million annually supporting local animal shelters and running our own hands-on animal care programs and providing other direct-care services. In addition, we combat large-scale cruelties such as puppy mills, animal fighting, factory farming and horse slaughter – all of the things that Rep. King is so fond of.”
