Late last night, the U.S. House of Representatives once again agreed to stop slaughtering American horses for human consumption, by adding a provision to the Agriculture spending bill for 2008 that prohibits the use of funds to allow horse slaughter to continue.
The funding restriction for horse slaughter was first enacted two years ago, but the USDA has stubbornly refused to implement the law, opting instead to charge horse slaughterhouses a per horse fee for inspection services. Although the federal district court in Washington, D.C. ruled last spring that USDA's scheme to circumvent Congress is unlawful, the ruling is on hold pending an appeal to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, thus enabling horse slaughter to continue. This year's amendment, sponsored by Reps. John M. Spratt, Jr. (D-S.C.), Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), and Ben Chandler (D-Ky.), was accepted with the strong support of Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.).
"With anti-slaughter laws in Illinois and Texas, and now with this anti-slaughter language in a major spending bill in Congress, the writing is on the wall for the Belgian-owned slaughter plants in the United States," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. "The American people and their elected representatives want an end to horse slaughter -- not later, but right now."
Pacelle added, "I want to express special appreciation to Subcommittee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro and Reps. John Spratt, Ed Whitfield, Nick Rahall and Ben Chandler in pushing for protections for horses and saying enough is enough."
Amendments by lawmakers favoring horse slaughter -- including Subcommittee Ranking Member Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) and anti-animal ideologue Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) -- were not allowed by the Rules Committee.
Pacelle continued, "Horses have served this nation honorably in battle, transport, agriculture and as loyal companions. Today the House of Representatives said it is ungrateful and inhumane for this nation to treat them like a cheap commodity, kill them, and turn them into a high-priced meal in Belgium or Japan."
Facts:
- According to the USDA, 100,800 American horses were slaughtered in three foreign-owned slaughterhouses in 2006. Another 37,000 were sent to Mexico or Canada for slaughter and 4000 were imported from other countries into the U.S. for slaughter.
- The United States Department of Agriculture documents that more than 92% of horses slaughtered were in good condition. These healthy, productive horses could have been adopted through one of the 400 plus rescue operations in existence today.
- A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Rep. Janice Schakowsky (D-Ill.), is working to ban horse slaughter nationwide. The legislation would prohibit the export of horses for slaughter.
Timeline:
- April 26, 2007 – U.S. House of Representatives passes H.R. 249 to restore a decades-old ban on the commercial sale and slaughter of wild horses first enacted under the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. House vote: 277-137
- September 7, 2006 – U.S. House of Representatives passes H.R. 503, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. The 109th Congress adjourns before the Senate can consider the bill. House vote: 263-146
- October 25, 2005 – House-Senate conference committee completes its work on FY 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, retaining the funding limitation on USDA inspections of horsemeat.
- September 20, 2005 – U.S. Senate approves the Ensign-Byrd Amendment to the FY 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Bill to prohibit the use of tax dollars to pay for inspections of horsemeat. Senate vote: 69-28
- June 8, 2005 – U.S. House of Representatives approves the Sweeney-Spratt-Rahall-Whitfield Amendment to the FY 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Bill to prohibit the use of tax dollars to pay for inspections of horsemeat. House vote: 269-158
- May 19, 2005 – U.S. House of Representatives approves the Rahall-Whitfield Amendment to the FY 2006 Interior Appropriations Bill to restore federal protections from commercial sale and slaughter to wild horses and burros. The provision is stripped in conference from the final bill. House vote: 249-159
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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization -- backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- On the web at humanesociety.org.
