Nearly all House Democrats on Tuesday voted against legislation that would allow for the deportation of migrants convicted of harming animals used in law enforcement.
The measure, titled the Bill to Outlaw Wounding of Official Working Animals Act, or BOWOW Act, passed the House in a 228–190 vote.
Republicans supported the bill unanimously, joined by 15 Democrats, while 190 Democrats voted in opposition.
The Democrats who voted with Republicans to pass the measure were Reps. Henry Cuellar (Texas), Don Davis (N.C.), Sharice Davids (Kan.), John Garamendi (Calif.), Jared Golden (Maine), Vicente Gonzalez (Texas), Josh Gottheimer (N.J.), Greg Landsman (Ohio), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.), Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.), Adam Gray (Calif.), Josh Riley (N.Y.), Eric Sorensen (Ill.), Tom Suozzi (N.Y.) and Eugene Vindman (Va.).
Under the measure, any non-citizen of the United States who is “convicted of, or who admits to having committed, an offense related to harming animals used in law enforcement is inadmissible and deportable.”
In a post on X, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) accused Democrats of being “the party of PUNCHING PUPPIES” after most opposed the bill.
“The Democrats just decided to officially become the party of PUNCHING PUPPIES,” Johnson noted.
“190 Democrats just voted to give illegal immigrants the RIGHT TO PHYSICALLY ABUSE American service dogs — serving with law enforcement protecting American citizens,” Johnson added.
“The level Democrats will go to protect illegal aliens instead of Americans is disturbing, disgusting, and dangerous,” the Speaker noted.
“Harming a law enforcement working animal is appalling and evil,” Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) wrote in a post on X. “As a dog lover and someone who adamantly supports the working dogs who have served on the front lines, voting in favor of this bill was one of the easiest decisions of my congressional career.”
A bill introduced by Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) follows an incident in which an Egyptian national kicked and injured a dog used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The individual, Hamed Ramadan Bayoumy Aly Marie, 70, pleaded guilty to kicking a beagle named Freddie after the dog alerted agents to potential contraband in his bag.
The incident occurred at Washington Dulles International Airport, and a veterinarian later determined that Freddie, who was five years old, had suffered contusions in his right rib area, according to a press release from CBP.
Republicans are entering the final stretch of the 2026 midterm elections with a financial advantage that could be decisive in the battle for Congress.
With control of the House and Senate at stake, President Trump and Republican organizations have amassed hundreds of millions of dollars to defend GOP majorities and target Democrats across critical battleground states.
The numbers demonstrate just how formidable the Republican financial machine has become.
Federal Election Commission data through June showed Republican Party committees holding roughly $301 million in cash, compared with about $186 million for Democratic committees.
The Republican National Committee alone reported $128.5 million available, while the Democratic National Committee held just $16.3 million and carried $18.5 million in debt.
That advantage extends into the battle for the House.
The National Republican Congressional Committee announced in September that its war chest had reached $89 million, giving Republicans what the committee described as its largest cash advantage over Democrats at this stage of an election cycle.
Then came another extraordinary injection of cash.
An October fundraiser featuring Trump generated a record-breaking $36.8 million for the NRCC and Republican candidates, according to the committee.
But the biggest financial weapon available to Republicans may belong to Trump’s political operation.
MAGA Inc., Trump’s powerhouse super PAC, entered September with approximately $415 million available, an enormous stockpile that Republican strategists had spent months waiting to see deployed.
Now, that money is pouring onto the battlefield.
Republican-aligned groups have reserved at least $888 million in political advertising during the closing stretch, compared with at least $666 million for Democratic groups, according to AdImpact figures reported by Reuters.
The Senate operation is equally formidable.
The Senate Leadership Fund, aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and affiliated organizations announced in August that they had raised more than $500 million this cycle.
More recent reporting indicates the organization alone has raised more than $600 million while deploying hundreds of millions into competitive Senate contests.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
