Stopping needless government growth before it starts

OPINION:

If the Trump administration’s nascent Department of Government Efficiency wants to prevent a costly bureaucratic debacle before it drains taxpayer coffers, the office should focus its attention on an effort emerging in the House and Senate to duplicate responsibilities across two massive government agencies.

At issue is a measure called the Better Collaboration, Accountability and Regulatory Enforcement for Animals Act. The bill would create an entirely new bureaucracy in the Department of Justice to oversee, of all things, enforcement of dog breeders, which for decades has been the responsibility of animal experts at the Department of Agriculture.

If it comes to fruition, the law would stand up a new bureaucracy when it already has a successful system of oversight at a time when the government is struggling to keep costs in check. What’s more, the proposal is the classic solution in search of a problem because responsible U.S. dog breeders receive top marks by the government for their adherence to federal laws regarding animal welfare.

This proposal is wrong on several fronts.

First, the bill would circumvent oversight authority by an agency with pro-animal agriculture traditions staffed by experts focused on improving animal care and husbandry. It would instead install and duplicate that responsibility in an agency with little or no animal expertise, one focused on violations as potential federal crimes.

That’s like asking the Department of Housing and Urban Development to take on responsibility for developing a fleet of long-range bombers for the U.S. Air Force.

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service already is charged with overseeing and enforcing the Animal Welfare Act, the guiding legislation that regulates the treatment of animals. The service’s animal care division is staffed by thousands of animal experts who administer and enforce Animal Welfare Act licensing requirements. The Justice Department lacks the depth and breadth of such expertise.

As part of USDA’s mission, the agency provides expertise training and certification programs that benefit animals and the licensed dog breeders who care for them. Few would argue that the USDA, with thousands of veterinarians on staff, shouldn’t oversee animal activities.

Second, there is little legal precedent for the Justice Department to get involved in dog breeder licensing, and the bill would provide the agency with vast punitive powers. The Better CARE Act empowers the Justice Department to file charges, seize animals and impose penalties on dog breeder licensees regardless of whether the USDA has determined or even alleged a violation of the Animal Welfare Act. Passage of the bill could set a dangerous precedent for treating minor animal licensing violations, even simple paperwork mistakes, as more than regulatory infractions.

Third, the law would apparently apply to all regulated animals and activities, not just dogs and research facilities. When introducing the bill, Sens. John Kennedy, Louisiana Republican, and Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Democrat, said it would “protect livestock and other animals from abuse by strengthening law enforcement’s ability to penalize abusers.” It appears the plan may be for the Justice Department to also take over day-to-day oversight of farmers and other livestock owners, something the USDA already does.

Last, the legislative proposal has a much darker side rooted in animal rights extremism. In Peter Singer’s seminal 1975 book, “Animal Liberation,” the author lays out a series of steps to end the use of animals for any activity, including companionship, food and fiber. A key part of these steps is transferring enforcement of animal-related laws from agriculture departments, which accommodate and legitimize animal use.

The current oversight structure is hugely effective at ensuring animal welfare as the top priority. The most recent annual report of USDA’s inspections of the nation’s dog breeders found that 96% of licensees and registrants were in substantial compliance with the Animal Welfare Act.

In other words, legitimate breeders of dogs for commercial sale provide animals with humane care and treatment that meets government standards, including proper veterinary care, appropriate diet, clean and structurally sound housing, proper ventilation and sanitation and protection from extreme weather and temperatures.

Proponents of the bill argue that the Justice Department needs the authority to address violations of the Animal Welfare Act related to animal care or negligence. However, current law already allows the USDA officials to call for the assistance of the Justice Department when they believe a crime has occurred. The two agencies further deepened their relationship in March by signing a memorandum of understanding.

Through DOGE and several executive orders, President Trump has focused on reducing the size and scope of federal bureaucracy. Here is an important opportunity for lawmakers to stop needless government growth before it happens.

• Sheila Goffe is vice president of government relations for the American Kennel Club.