Animal protection and advocacy group Cruelty Free International has retained animal rights lobbyists Blue Marble Strategy for representation on animal and science issues in Washington.
Cruelty Free International is the world’s foremost organization dedicated to eradicating the worldwide practice of animal laboratory experiments. The London-based organization, which conducts undercover investigations exposing the conditions of life for animals in laboratories, was founded in 1898 by Irish writer and women’s suffrage leader Frances Power Cobbe.
CFI has retained Blue Marble to lobby in support of H.R. 2790, the “Humane Cosmetics Act,” which would prohibit animal testing for any cosmetic products in the U.S. after one year and prohibit the sale of all cosmetic products tested on animals within three years.
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That bill was re-introduced in June by Reps. Martha McSally (R-AZ) and Don Beyer (D-VA) after failing to pass committee last year. It is now sponsored by Ed Royce (R-CA), Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) and Paul D. Tonko (D-NY).
The use of animal testing to demonstrate the safety of products is not required by the Food and Drug Administration or the Product Safety Commission. The practice is already banned in Israel, India and every nation in the European Union.
The Animal Welfare Institute, The Humane Society and global beauty giant The Body Shop have all recently come out in public support of H.R. 2790.
Blue Marble Strategy is the nation’s first private government affairs and consulting firm dedicated to animal and environmental protection, as well as wildlife conservation. Agency founder Chris Heyde manages the CFI account. He was formerly head of government and legal affairs for federal animal protection government affairs program the Animal Welfare Institute. Earlier in his career he was a legislative aide to Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and a staff assistant to Senator Connie Mack (R-FL).
The animal rights lobbying group inked a similar pact earlier this year with the Beagle Freedom Project, a coalition run by Los Angeles-based non-profit Animal Rescue, Media, and Education. That group also hired Blue Marble Strategy to advocate its support of H.R. 2790 on Capitol Hill.
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