Big Cat Public Safety Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. ESTES. Madam Speaker, the House is set to vote on the Big Cat Public Safety Act. Sadly, my Democratic colleagues are pushing legislation inspired by a reality show feud instead of focusing on the harsh realities that real life families are facing because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Madam Speaker, this bill does more harm than good for the very animals it seeks to protect. My district is home to Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Goddard, Kansas. It's owner, Jim Fouts, founded this park in 2008 to conserve endangered tiger species and educate visitors through interactive experiences.

Through its current operation, Tanganyika Wildlife Park has become one of the top big cat breeding facilities, among 37 across the United States, for conservation. This legislation discriminates against smaller facilities that have safely worked to increase populations for rare and Endangered species.

Additionally, like many other small conservation facilities, Tanganyika Wildlife Park was built privately with no government grants or funding. The Big Cat Public Safety Act is not about public safety; instead, it eliminates smaller operations that are saving animals' lives while also providing unique educational experiences in communities across the country.

Instead of fixing a problem, Democrats have once again introduced a one-size-fits-all bill that hurts smaller facilities instead of addressing problems with some bad actors. And they've abdicated their responsibility to lead the People's House in a bipartisan manner when so many families and small businesses are hurting.

It is ridiculous that we are voting on this bill rather than passing meaningful, common-sense measures to provide relief to Americans during our public health crisis.

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