Roy Exum: Will Perdue Abide His Oath?

  • Wednesday, March 22, 2017
  • Roy Exum
Roy Exum
Roy Exum
Sonny Perdue, a licensed veterinarian who served as the governor of Georgia for eight years, is scheduled to appear for confirmation hearings tomorrow as the nation’s next Secretary of Agriculture. It has been nine weeks since he was named by President Donald Trump and horse advocates have been holding their breath for exactly that long.
Will Sonny remain a devoted loyalist to defenseless animals, or will he fall prey to the “Big Lick” like almost every Republican in Washington?
The fact Perdue took a professional oath stating, in part, he would “solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources …” has some of those who have fought to eliminate the sadistic soring of Tennessee Walking Horses encouraged.
But when Perdue appears before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on Thursday, we know there is already a fat and powerful fox inside the chicken house.
The Senate committee is made up of 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats. One of the Republican members is none other than Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell, who has accepted hundreds of thousands in “contributions” from the despicable “Big Lick” faction of the walking horse industry.
McConnell and Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander are believed to have blocked three attempts to strengthen regulations against the torture and quite visible abuse to Walkers by unscrupulous owners and trainers. The abuse is still rampant because a Walker can’t do the grotesque dance that’s called “the Big Lick” without being “schooled.” It is unnatural for the horse and all for a flimsy blue ribbon.
As a matter of fact, the Republicans in Washington are so influenced by “The Dirty Lick” that only one Republican of the 10 on the agriculture committee endorsed the PAST Act (Prevent All Soring Tactics) while eight of the 10 seated Democrats were co-sponsors of the badly-needed legislation. Just as important to note, one of the Republicans who refused to endorse amendments to the 1970 Horse Protection Act was Sonny Perdue’s first cousin, David Perdue, now a senator from the state of Georgia.
Under Barack Obama, the Department of Agriculture made an eleventh-hour rule change that would eliminate unnatural stacks under Walkers’ front hooves, action devices that are painful to the animals and would require shows to eliminate the Big Lick’s seedy judges and horse inspectors.
But during his first week in office, the new president shelved the rules change in quite a specific way, lending thought to the belief McConnell had used his influence to idle the new rules. It was a monumental move for the “Dirty Lick,” virtually assuring flagrant horse abuse that is centered in Shelbyville will continue uninterrupted. A total of 60 senators (a majority) and 308 members of the House (super majority) had co-sponsored the PAST Act but the McConnell/Alexander tag team blocked the bills which would have been immediately approved.
Not long after Trump jerked the new rules, 154 members of Congress sent him a letter in February asking that he reconsider and attached an overwhelming list of 300 organizations – such as the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Society of Equine Practitioners and every state veterinary group. Ted Yoho (R-FL) – a large animal veterinarian -- is leading the effort to reinstate the rules.
Shortly after the letter was delivered to Trump, the “Dirty Lick”-influenced interim USDA head Brian Klippenstein moved to take the names of those who violate the Horse Protection Act from its website but Klippenstein went it one better. He also took down a list of the violators of the Animal Welfare Act, much to the delight of scofflaws who have puppy mills, roadside zoos and all else where animals are abused.
It backfired on Klippenstein – he is now branded as an animal hater -- and one of the first big questions when Sonny Perdue is confirmed is what will he do for animal decency. Will he hold to his veterinary oath or will he let the “Dirty Lickers” continue the savagery?
* * *
It comes as little surprise that Randy Boyd, who just announced he would be running for governor in Tennessee next year, has aligned himself with the “Dirty Lick” in a big way. Boyd has named Steven B. Smith, a member of the Lick’s Executive Committee, as his financial chairman.
Steven B. has been state finance chairman for Lamar Alexander for years and has assisted every Republican member of Congress. This is why no Tennessee Republicans have endorsed the PAST Act in the last three sessions of Congress.
“Not only is Steve Smith one of Tennessee’s most outstanding leaders, but there is no one more experienced and successful in building the kind of financial support we will need to win this campaign,” Boyd said. “I am deeply grateful to Steve for his trust and leadership in serving as state finance chair for our campaign.”
And that’s all we need to know about Randy Boyd.
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