Buchanan's RAWR Act Passes Foreign Affairs Committee

Press Release

The House Foreign Affairs Committee today passed Congressman Vern Buchanan's Rescuing Animals With Rewards Act (RAWR Act), which allows the State Department to offer rewards for information leading to the arrest or conviction of wildlife traffickers around the globe.

"Wildlife trafficking is a grave and persistent threat to endangered animals across the world," Buchanan said. "The RAWR Act would provide another tool to crack down on the billions of dollars generated by this illegal industry. I am optimistic the full House will soon take up this important measure."

The RAWR would explicitly add wildlife trafficking to the list of criminal activities the State Department can target with financial rewards for whistleblowers.

Endangered animals are subjected to some of the most horrifying acts of abject cruelty due to wildlife trafficking. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has stated that "thousands of wildlife species" are threatened by trafficking. Elephants, rhinos, giraffes, lions and other animals are targeted by poachers across the globe. In the past few years some of the gains of conservation of rhinos have been halted due to a surge in poaching, as the rhino horn is used in traditional medicine. Hundreds of lions are killed and mutilated for their claws and teeth each year. According to one report by National Geographic in 2018 , four young lions were found with their faces and paws hacked off.

Crimes related to illicit wildlife trafficking generates billions of dollars every year, much of which is funneled to terrorist groups. It is estimated that a kilogram of raw ivory can fetch as much as $2,100, while a kilogram of rhino horn is worth $65,000.

"It is critical that we get this bill to the president's desk as soon as possible," Buchanan continued. "We need to incentivize whistleblowing that will protect global wildlife and deny terrorist groups funding derived from this nefarious industry."

Terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram, use poaching as a main funding source to finance their other activities. Boko Haram alone has killed 25,000 elephants in a ten year period.

Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, stated, "Wildlife trafficking funds illicit terrorism activity across the globe and is one of the most significant threats to iconic species, fueling the decline of elephants, tigers, pangolins and more. We applaud the House Foreign Affairs Committee for marking up the RAWR Act, introduced by Representatives Buchanan and Titus."

Kate Wall, senior legislative manager for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, stated, "Wildlife trafficking is an epidemic that threatens extinction for iconic species like elephants, rhinos, and tigers."

Holly Gann, director of federal affairs for Animal Wellness Action, stated, "Wildlife trafficking is one of the most destructive criminal syndicates at work across the globe. Wildlife lawbreakers are threatening the security and the natural resources of so many countries that depend on healthy ecosystems and intact wildlife populations. We applaud Rep. Buchanan for his leadership to address these crimes."

Buchanan, co-chair of the Animal Protection Caucus, received an A rating from the Humane Society for his leadership and votes in 2018. He is also a past recipient of the Humane Society's "Legislator of the Year" award.

In January, Buchanan introduced the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act to outlaw and make it easier to prosecute those involved in the gruesome killing of animals. Their bill, which is supported by more than 160 bipartisan members of Congress, has received nationwide coverage from dozens of media outlets nationwide, reaching over a million Americans.

He recently opposed the Interior Department's announcement that it would move to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species protection. His strong record of defending animals also includes opposing weaker protections for the Florida manatee and panther, as well as urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to restore a database of animal cruelty information that the department removed suddenly and without notice.

In 2017, Buchanan urged President Trump to reject the Interior secretary's decision to lift a ban on allowing African lion and elephant trophies to be brought into the United States.

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