The Oregonian | Readers respond: EATS Act threatens animals, people

Reposted from: https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2023/08/readers-respond-eats-act-threatens-animals-people.html

August 8, 2023

The Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression Act (EATS Act) is a dangerous bill currently in Congress. The EATS Act is an attempt to undo the sacred values of the 10th Amendment. It has been drafted to dismantle local animal welfare laws, but it will have far-reaching implications for food safety, disease prevention, cigarette safety and all societal issues concerning agricultural product regulation.

Animal suffering is directly proportional to the spread of zoonotic diseases, and if federal law takes control over this area, states cannot do anything to protect their vulnerable populations, including the immunocompromised, the elderly and children. Federal laws are always a least common denominator compromise among states. The EATS Act is a cruel attempt to remove each individual state’s power to protect its animals and human community.

I respectfully urge my representative, U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, to denounce the EATS Act and be a voice protecting Oregonians from an inevitable disaster.

Altamush Saeed, Portland