House of Representatives Votes to Prohibit U.S. Horse Slaughter by Eliminating Inspection Funding1/15/2014
Today the U.S. House of Representatives voted to prohibit the use of tax dollars to inspect U.S. horse slaughter facilities, reinstating a ban on domestic horse slaughter for the 2014 fiscal year. Congress regularly included a similar spending prohibition each year from 2005 to 2010, but failed to include the language in the 2012 budget, opening the door for a return of horse slaughter in the U.S., despite broad opposition to the practice. Several applications to open horse slaughter facilities have recently been filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in New Mexico, Missouri and Iowa.
 Congressman Jim Moran (D-Va.) “I am incredibly proud that the omnibus appropriations bill includes a provision banning USDA inspections at horse slaughter plants, effectively prohibiting horse slaughter in the U.S.,” said Rep. Moran.
“These incredible companion animals don’t deserve to be callously slaughtered for human consumption. We fought hard for the past three years to reinstate this ban to prevent slaughter facilities from reopening on American soil. This achievement would not have been possible without the support of numerous federal, state and local officials, animal protection organizations, and dedicated citizens across the country.” In a national poll it was revealed that 80 percent of American voters are opposed to the slaughter of U.S. horses for human consumption. Horse slaughter is inherently cruel and often erroneously compared to humane euthanasia. The methods used to slaughter horses rarely result in quick, painless deaths, as horses are difficult to stun and often remain conscious during their butchering and dismemberment. Whether slaughter occurs in the U.S. or abroad, these equines suffer incredible abuse even before they arrive at the slaughterhouse, often transported for more than 24 hours at a time without food, water or rest, and in dangerously overcrowded trailers where the animals are often seriously injured or even killed in transit. The majority of horses killed for human consumption are young, healthy animals who could go on to lead productive lives with loving owners. Last year, more than 160,000 American horses were sent to a cruel death by a grisly foreign industry that produces unsafe food for consumers. While the FY 2014 spending bill protects American communities from the devastating environmental and economic impact of horse slaughter facilities, it does not prohibit the transport of U.S. horses for slaughter across the border to Canada and Mexico. To address this issue, Sens. Landrieu and Graham, and Reps. Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), introduced the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act (S. 541/H.R. 1094)—bipartisan legislation that would end the current export of American horses for slaughter abroad, and protect the public from consuming toxic horse meat. WASHINGTON— U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today announced that the bill funding the government for FY2014 includes a ban on domestic horse slaughter. The ban prohibits the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from using federal funds to inspect horsemeat intended for human consumption, effectively banning domestic horse slaughter and protecting the public from toxic horse meat. The provision, coauthored with Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is expected to pass both the House and Senate this week before going to the President for his signature. Sen. Landrieu added the language to the FY2014 Appropriations bill in June that funds the Department of Agriculture, which was part of today's funding bill.  Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.) “I am relieved that horse slaughter is now banned in the United States, protecting the American public from the very serious health and safety risks posed by horse meat. Slaughtering horses is inhumane, disgusting and unnecessary, and there is no place for it in the United States.
I appreciate Sen. Graham's partnership to ban this cruel practice, keep our food supply safe and save taxpayer dollars,” Sen. Landrieu said. “I will continue to push for the passage of the SAFE Act, which aims to permanently ban the slaughter of horses in the United States and prohibits the transport of America’s horses to other countries for slaughter.” The ban included in the FY2014 Agriculture Appropriations bill would last for the duration of the bill. To permanently ban horse slaughter, the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act would permanently prohibit horse slaughter operations in the U.S., and end the current export and slaughter of more than 150,000 American horses abroad each year. The SAFE Act has the bipartisan support of 28 Senators. A companion bill has been introduced in the House by Reps. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill. and has the bipartisan support of 163 congressmen. ### Press Release: Mary Landrieu, U.S. Senator for Lousiana 
June 28, 2013 | Press Release
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today said she is extremely disturbed and disappointed that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved an application for inspections at a horse slaughter facility in New Mexico and that it plans to approve similar requests for plants in Iowa and Missouri. Sen. Landrieu recently passed a ban on horsemeat inspections through the Senate Appropriations Committee as part of the Agriculture Appropriations Bill. She is also pushing for a permanent ban through her bipartisan Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act that she introduced with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. "I am extremely disturbed and disappointed that despite the numerous economic and safety concerns, several horse slaughter plants could soon operate in our country. Americans overwhelmingly oppose horse slaughter because of its brutality, risks to food safety and serious environmental impacts. By granting these applications, we are going in the wrong direction as far as protecting consumer health, responsibly managing taxpayer funds and protecting our domestic meat industry. Today's announcement makes swift congressional action even more crucial," Sen. Landrieu said. "Sen. Graham and I successfully included a temporary ban on horse slaughter in the Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill, and I remain committed to passing this legislation with the ban intact, as well as passing the bipartisan SAFE Act for a permanent ban. I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this ban as quickly as possible to close the doors on domestic horse slaughter plants for good." The ban included in the FY2014 Agriculture Appropriations bill would last for the duration of the bill. To permanently ban horse slaughter, the SAFE Act would permanently prohibit horse slaughter operations in the U.S., and end the current export and slaughter of more than 150,000 American horses abroad each year. A similar bill has been introduced in the House by Reps. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Il. |
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