It could take years for Biden to restore wildlife protections erased by Trump Published December 22, 2020
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Print article When President-elect Joe Biden walks through the door of the White House with his rescue dog, Major, he will inherit a Migratory Bird Treaty Act that no longer protects birds, a watered-down Endangered Species Act, and a policy that allows hunters in Alaska to crawl into bear and wolf dens to shoot mothers and their babies. And that’s just in the United States. The Trump administration has allowed importation of the carcasses of endangered elephants and rhinoceros, as well as lions, as hunting trophies - reversing a ban on the practice enacted when Biden was vice president under President Barack Obama.
Racing reforms are on their way across the United States after Congress passed the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act as part of a massive spending bill, which included $US900 million in Covid relief.
The racing legislation, backed by several important industry bodies and widely supported by lawmakers, will require national, uniform safety standards that include anti-doping and medication control, as well as racetrack safety programs.
The fractured nature of anti-doping and track safety efforts across the country’s 38 racing jurisdictions has long been the subject of criticism.
Supporters of the bill argued that the patchwork of regulations undermined the public’s confidence in horseracing, threatened the integrity of competition, and, in the view of advocacy groups, endangered the human and equine athletes.
Matthew Daly
FILE - In this Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, file photo, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, speaks during a news conference with other Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill in Washington, while Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, listens at left. âThere will be another major rescue package for the American people, McConnell said in announcing an agreement for a relief bill, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, that would total almost $900 billion. âIt is packed with targeted policies to help struggling Americans who have already waited too long.â (Nicholas Kamm/Pool Photo via AP, File) December 22, 2020 - 12:46 PM
WASHINGTON - A bill to ban race-day doping of horses and set national medication and track-safety standards for the horse-racing industry is nearing the finish line. Lawmakers gave final approval to the bill late Monday as part of the massive legislation on spending and pandemic relief.
Anti-Doping Measure in Horse Racing Included in Final Federal Spending Bill for 2021 einnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from einnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, with Rep. Andy Barr (left) and Breeders Cup president Drew Fleming unveil Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act at Keeneland news conference in September
The following was issued by the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) led the Senate Monday night in passing the
Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, which was included in the year-end government funding bill. The legislation now goes to President Trump s desk to become law. Senator McConnell introduced the bipartisan legislation in September, only days after the 146
th Kentucky Derby, to recognize a uniform, national standard for Thoroughbred racing.