Session: 123456789101112131415161718         Page 100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132 of 617

support my legislation by writing to Chairman Poage, who is the chairman of the sub-committee that would deal with it, urging that there be hearings. I handed out about 500 of the statements, and everybody who read it very quickly saw what it was about, and they said nice things; but one young woman said to me: “Don't you have better issues to be concerned about?” and I said, “I happen to think that the issue of the humane treatment of animals is an issue that has a high priority. And it may not be your priority, but it is the priority of a great number of people.”

She was very upset about this. She said, “I happen to be a higher animal, and this is not my priority,” or words to that effect, “and I don't like [the way] you're treating me.”

That was just a very single reaction, not the usual reaction, because what is surprising is that over the year -- and I've now been in Congress for seven years -- and every year, the single issue that gets the most mail regularly would be the treatment or inhumane treatment with respect to animals. That doesn't mean all the time. The impeachment of Nixon got 6000 letters in a three-week period. Our involvement in Angola, which I think is reprehensible -- we ought to get out of there in every respect --, is now getting hundred of letters. But on a regular basis, the issue that gets the most attention -- and that relates to every member of Congress -- is the subject of the inhumane treatment of animals.

Thank you and good luck. Bye bye.