LETTER: Iowa Conservatives – It’s Time to Crush Animal Torture and Lead Like Trump

As a lifelong conservative and libertarian who’s spent decades in the political trenches, I’ve learned to spot when it’s time to act. Right now, that means Iowa conservatives must rally to pass House File 2348 and Senate File 2099, making animal torture an automatic felony. Iowa is the last state in the nation without this commonsense protection, and it’s a glaring embarrassment we can’t ignore any longer.

Let’s be blunt: Animal torture isn’t a fringe cause for tree huggers or liberal activists—it’s a screaming red flag for the deeper societal rot that fuels violent crime in our communities.

Study after study reveals that the sadists who burn, drown, beat, or intentionally starve dogs, cats, and other companion animals rarely stop there. Domestic abuse stands out as the crime where animal torture strikes hardest and most frequently, often occurring simultaneously or as part of the same twisted pattern. These cowards weaponize pets to terrorize wives, girlfriends, and kids. If we’re truly serious about protecting women, children, and the innocent, we start by passing HF 2348 and SF 2099.

This isn’t just tough talk—it’s MAGA conservatism in action. President Trump proved it in his first term by signing the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act in 2019, elevating federal animal crushing to a felony and declaring that under Republican leadership, America won’t tolerate such barbarism.

HF 2348 and SF 2099 are modeled directly after that landmark law. Now, in 2026, the Trump administration is doubling down on animal cruelty crimes with a new strike force, spearheaded by the DOJ, to prosecute the worst offenders nationwide. This is real law-and-order stuff: rooting out violence at its source to make our streets, homes, and families safer.

This legislation isn’t about bloated government; it’s about justice, moral backbone, and living up to the pro-life principles we preach. If we’re pro-life for the unborn, we damn well better extend that compassion to God’s innocent creatures who can’t fight back. Passing these bills broadcasts a clear message: In Trump’s America, we deliver swift, severe punishment to torturers—no excuses, no lenient slaps on the wrist. But if we drag our feet, we’re arming the radical left to smear us as heartless hypocrites who talk big on values but fold when it counts.

I commend Representative Samantha Fett (R – HD 22) for sponsoring HF 2348, and Senator Lynn Evans (R – SD 3) for championing SF 2099, as well the members of the House and Senate Judiciary committees who unanimously voted to advance the bill to a vote by the full chamber. These lawmakers recognize that protecting the vulnerable—whether human or animal—is a cornerstone of good governance.