Nature & Animals Quote by Earl Blumenauer

“Mr. Speaker” is the tell: this isn’t persuasion aimed at the public so much as a performance for the Congressional record, where morality is sharpened into legislative leverage. Blumenauer opens with procedure and time served - “for the last 5 years” - to project stamina and seriousness, the kind of persistence that signals the issue has survived news cycles and partisan churn. The phrase “bipartisan group” is doing double duty. It’s a shield against the reflexive dismissal of yet another culture-war skirmish, and it’s a quiet reminder to leadership: this has votes, this has cover, let it move.

The wording then tightens into moral clarity: “make it illegal” frames the goal as basic governance, not optional virtue. “Continue” implies the practice is stubbornly ongoing, indicting regulatory gaps and enforcement failures without naming culprits. Then comes the rhetorical spike: “barbaric.” That’s not a neutral descriptor; it’s a civilizational line in the sand. By labeling the activity as beyond the bounds of respectable society, he collapses debate. Who wants to be recorded as defending “barbaric” entertainment?

The odd, slightly clunky pairing - “game bird and illegal dog fighting” - hints at the real policy mechanics: bundling distinct animal-welfare issues (bird fighting like cockfighting; dogfighting rings) into a single push, likely to broaden coalition and simplify messaging. The subtext is strategic compassion: make the vote less about niche advocacy and more about what Congress is for - drawing boundaries around cruelty, and making that boundary politically safe to enforce.