Dear [Your Elected Official],

<p>I am writing to you as a constituent to ask that you OPPOSE the "The Animal Cruelty Enforcement (ACE) Act" - H.R.1477. <br /><br />H.R.1477 would establish a new section in the Environmental and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice to enforce federal laws concerning animal cruelty and establish an “Animal Cruelty Task Force” to weaponize the Department of Justice against American citizens.</p> <p>ACE federalizes animal cruelty enforcement, traditionally handled at the state level. It paves the way for federal overreach and prioritizes activist-driven agendas targeting legitimate animal businesses.</p> <p>ACE creates by statute dedicated to animal cruelty crimes division at Department of Justice to aid in investigation, enforcement, and subsequent prosecution of felony animal cruelty crimes; and would require the DOJ to report annually on the progress made enforcing animal cruelty statutes.</p> <p>ACE creates a slippery slope, at best, working to redefine what is considered "humane" or "cruel" by radical animal rights groups which have NO JURISDICTION or expertise in animal care or husbandry.</p> <p>ACE is part of a broader trend by animal rights groups to increase the federalization of  animal policy and enforcement mechanisms that have historically been the jurisdiction of individual states. Under the guise of preventing cruelty, H.R.1477 empowers federal authorities to intervene in matters previously handled by local or state law enforcement or agriculture departments.</p> <p>There is no demonstrated need for a new federal office. The USDA already oversees animal welfare compliance under existing laws. This duplicative DOJ unit creates bureaucratic redundancy at significant taxpayer cost.</p> <p>The Animal Cruelty Enforcement Act (H.R.1477) is not about addressing actual cruelty—it’s a Trojan horse for expanding federal control and enabling activist attacks on animal ownership.</p> <p>I respectfully urge you to reject this legislation and protect the Constitutional rights of Americans who lawfully breed, raise, and work with animals.</p>