Overview
- The House approved H.R. 4638 on a 228–190 vote, with every Republican and 15 Democrats supporting the bill.
- The legislation would deem noncitizens convicted under 18 U.S.C. 1368 or those who admit to harming federal law‑enforcement animals inadmissible or deportable.
- Backers said the bill simplifies removals compared with relying on moral‑turpitude findings, while opponents called it redundant and warned that using admissions raises due‑process concerns.
- Speaker Mike Johnson drew backlash after posting that Democrats became the “party of PUNCHING PUPPIES,” a characterization critics said misrepresented the bill’s opposition.
- Sponsors cited a 2025 Dulles Airport case involving a CBP beagle named Freddie as the catalyst, and Republicans also advanced a separate deportability measure for government fraud that drew 20 Democratic votes.