Post your Senators Response to bill S. 373

[MX121]

Got this one yesterday as it's a pre written one.

Dear Mr. Bockman:

Thank you for getting in touch with me to express your views about S. 373. It's good to hear from you.

I appreciate knowing of your opposition to this legislation. One of my guiding principles here in the Senate is that Marylanders have a right to know, to be heard, and to be represented. Information from people like you is essential if I am to be not only the Senator from Maryland, but also the Senator for Maryland. Knowing of your views will be very helpful to me.

Thanks again for contacting me. If I can be of assistance in the future, or if there is any other federal legislation on which you would like to comment, please feel free to let me know.

Sincerely,
Barbara A. Mikulski
United States Senator

Waiting to hear back from Senator Cardin who was at the last hearing.

[evarner]

Re: Post your Senators Response to bill S. 373

Here is my senators response.....


Dear Mrs. Varner:

Thank you for contacting me regarding non-native, invasive species. I appreciate hearing your views on this matter. I have long been concerned about the threat posed by invasive species. These species, which are introduced from other ecosystems, often encounter few, if any, natural enemies in their new environments and wreak havoc on native species. Estimates of the annual economic damage caused by invasive species run as high as $137 billion.

In an effort to address this issue, I cosponsored the National Invasive Species Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-332). This law authorized the Army Corps of Engineers to build a temporary dispersal barrier (Barrier I) in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to stop invasive species, such as Asian Carp, from entering Lake Michigan. Along with the other members of the Great Lakes Task Force, I have made repeated efforts to authorize and to provide funding for the Army Corps to complete and enhance the dispersal barriers in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

Additionally, I introduced the Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act (S.1421). This legislation would place the Bighead carp on the list of injurious species under the Lacey Act. This act established civil and criminal penalties for violation of any transportation restrictions on plants, fish, and wildlife. Listing Bighead carp as an injurious species under the Lacey Act would prevent the importation and interstate commerce of live Bighead carp without a permit, and as a result, would lower the risk of an introduction of this species into the Great Lakes. We have already spent $9 million on the electric dispersal barrier, and it would undermine that effort to allow Asian carp to be introduced into the Great Lakes because we did not do everything in our power to block other pathways of introduction into the lakes.

Another piece of non-native species legislation, commonly referred to as the Python bill (S. 373), would place python constrictor snakes on the list of injurious species. This designation would prohibit the importation of this snake into the United States. I am a cosponsor of this legislation, which has been approved by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Invasive species in the Great Lakes are an ecological, economical and health threat. I will continue to work to ensure that the threat of invasive species is reduced. Thank you again for writing.

Sincerely,
Carl Levin


AND HERE IS MY RESPONSE TO HIS RESPONSE.......


Dear Senator Levin,

In response to your return email, I would like to ask what made you become a sponsor of the S. 373 bill? I feel that what information that you were given has not been bias with all the facts. I understand that money can be a large contributor to the way some politicians vote but this bill will cause a dramatic down fall on the US economy. This bill has been created to punish all constrictor owners, when it should only affect the snake mills and inexperienced owners that refuse to take responsibility for there pets. I'm sure you don't know much about these constrictors, but I wish you would do more research on them just to see for yourself how many responsible owners and respectable breeders there are in both this state and the entire US.

Thank You for your response in advance,

Mrs. Varner

P.S.
I can direct you to some resources on the opposing side of this bill that could give you a better idea of how devastating this bill could be to this country.

[MX121]

Re: Post your Senators Response to bill S. 373

This is from Senator Cardin who was at the last hearing.

Dear Mr. Bockman:

Thank you for sharing your concerns about invasive species and Senator Bill Nelson's bill, S. 373. I have worked hard to reduce the destructive impact of invasive species on the environment while being considerate of personal rights of responsible exotic animal owners and breeders.

I sympathize with your concerns regarding restrictions on python trading. However, the annual volume of live imports into the United States has doubled since 1991 and the current regulation we have to monitor species importation is inadequate. The environmental disruption, the economic harm, and the threats to human and animal health are immeasurable. On the whole, current laws, such as the Lacey Act and the Animal Health Protection Act, provide the United States with a very low level of protection from potentially invasive and injurious species. Many species, such as the Burmese Pythons, Snakeheads, Red Lionfish and Nutria that have become extremely destructive invasive species in various parts of the country were not thought to be destructive when they were first imported. One step towards solving invasive species problems is by stopping further importation of a harmful species. The impacts Burmese pythons are having on national treasures like the Everglades and Big Cypress National Parks and the potential for similar problem situations to arise in other parts of the country when careless pet owners release these animals into the wild, needs to be addressed. We must be more careful with our imports, including captive breeds, to ensure that the destructive impact is kept to a minimum.

On July 8, I co-chaired a hearing between the Environment & Public Works Subcommittees on Oversight and Water and Wildlife entitled, "Threats to Native Wildlife Species." The hearing addressed the threats disease and invasive species pose to the country's native wildlife. Most importantly, we learned that prevention is much easier and cheaper than management. I am open to all views and would be interested to learn about what additional information or contrary evidence that you may have. Please feel free to send this material to my office in Washington.

Senator Nelson introduced S. 373 on February 3, 2009. It would amend the federal criminal code to add the constrictor snake of the species Python genera to the list of injurious species that are prohibited from being shipped or imported into the United States. I can assure you that I will track the issue carefully and keep in mind your views.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts about S. 373 and pythons. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this, or any other matter of concern to you.

[joshua.britto]

Re: Post your Senators Response to bill S. 373

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RE: Your response from Senator Bill Nelson
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Please do not reply to this e-mail. If you need to send another message to Senator Nelson, please use the form on his Web site: Bill Nelson, U.S. Senator from Florida: Contact Bill

Dear Mr. Britto:

Thank you for writing me about S. 373, a bill I introduced that would ban the importation and trade between States of the Burmese python.

Burmese pythons often are released into the wild when their owners can no longer care for them. Though not native to south Florida, Burmese pythons are thriving in the Everglades National Park, threatening natural species, many of which are endangered, and posing the risk of upsetting the delicate ecosystem of the region. We have invested many years and billions of dollars in an effort to restore the Everglades to its natural balance, and non-native species, like Burmese pythons, threaten to undo that work.

I understand your concern that my bill would punish responsible python owners. My bill will not take away existing pythons from owners. The State of Florida has made progress recently in balancing the needs of pet owners and the concerns for the environment by requiring micro-chipping and permits for reptiles of concern, including the Burmese python. My bill would serve as a Federal companion to help stop the expanding population of Burmese pythons in the wild.

I appreciate you taking the time to write me with your views on this important matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future.

Sincerely,
Senator Bill Nelson

P.S. From time to time, I compile electronic news briefs highlighting key issues and hot topics of particular importance to Floridians. If you'd like to receive these e-briefs, visit my Web site and sign up for them at Bill Nelson, U.S. Senator from Florida: eBriefs

[dangles]

Re: Post your Senators Response to bill S. 373

Dear Mr. Britto:

Thank you for writing me about S. 373, a bill I introduced that would ban the importation and trade between States of the Burmese python.

Burmese pythons often are released into the wild when their owners can no longer care for them. Though not native to south Florida, Burmese pythons are thriving in the Everglades National Park, threatening natural species, many of which are endangered, and posing the risk of upsetting the delicate ecosystem of the region. We have invested many years and billions of dollars in an effort to restore the Everglades to its natural balance, and non-native species, like Burmese pythons, threaten to undo that work.

I understand your concern that my bill would punish responsible python owners. My bill will not take away existing pythons from owners. The State of Florida has made progress recently in balancing the needs of pet owners and the concerns for the environment by requiring micro-chipping and permits for reptiles of concern, including the Burmese python. My bill would serve as a Federal companion to help stop the expanding population of Burmese pythons in the wild.

I appreciate you taking the time to write me with your views on this important matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future.

Sincerely,
Senator Bill Nelson

is it just me, or has billy-boy altered his form-letter? this one seems a little more to-the-point, if that makes sense... i seem to remember other people posting his responses that were much more generic about invasive species.

just like i said, though... HSUS is whispering in his ear... "they're just worried that this bill will take their pets away. tell them not to worry, because it won't."

he just doesn't get it. this isn't about taking our pets away. this is about destroying thousands of small and medium sized business that rely on INTERSTATE sales to support their families.

this is about needlessly destroying an industry based on crack-pot, politically motivated "science."

sheesh...

[JLTerry]

Re: Post your Senators Response to bill S. 373

This is not looking very good is it? I have not received anything more than an auto response saying that they have received my emails and letters. That's all, and I have been sending letters for weeks now. It's not looking like our Senators and Representatives are listening to us, or maybe not enough of us have spoken up!

[zamora]

Re: Post your Senators Response to bill S. 373

First response:


Thank you for contacting me regarding the Ban Poisonous Additives Act. I am glad to have the benefits of your views on this issue.

On March 12, 2009, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced the Ban Poisonous Additives Act into the Senate. This legislation would eliminate the use of the toxic chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) from food and beverage containers regulated by the FDA. It also directs the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to periodically review substances listed in federal regulations and generally recognized as safe. If any of these recognized safe substances are proven to be toxic in humans or animals, it would be banned or restricted. Currently the Senate committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is considering this legislation.

Be assured I will keep your views in mind as Congress considers legislation affecting poisonous additives. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can ever assist you.

With best wishes, I am


Sincerely yours,
Roger F.Wicker
U.S. Senate

I re-sent my original letter with a codisil stating that he obviously had not read my letter since his reply had nothing to do with the ban that I was referring to. His response:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the list of injurious animals that are prohibited from the United States. I am glad to have to benefit of your views on this issue.

On February 3, 2009, Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) introduced S. 373 into the United States Senate. This legislation would amend the federal criminal code of the Lacey Act to include the Python genera species of constrictor snakes to the list of injurious animals that are prohibited from being shipped into the United States. Currently the Senate committee on Environment and Public Works is considering this legislation.

Be assured I will keep your views in mind as Congress considers legislation affecting the federal criminal code of the Lacey Act. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can ever assist you.

With best wishes, I am


Sincerely yours,
Roger F.Wicker
U.S. Senate

I guess the Senators in Mississippi don't give a d**n!

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