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Bill Banning Horse Slaughter Reintroduced in Senate

A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers reintroduced legislation to permanently ban horse slaughter in the United States and end the current export of American horses for slaughter Tuesday. Sponsored by U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, the Save America's Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act is supported by leading animal welfare groups, including the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), the Animal Welfare Institute, the Humane Society of the United States, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, and Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation.

“The gruesome practice of slaughtering horses for food has no place in the United States, and it's well past time for Congress to say once and for all that horsemeat is not what's for dinner,” said Sen. Menendez. “Horses are routinely treated with drugs that are dangerous for human consumption and do not belong in our nation's food supply. Our bipartisan legislation will help put an end to the cruel and inhumane slaughter of horses while protecting families from toxic horse meat and safeguarding the reputation of the U.S. food industry worldwide.”

“Horses hold a special place in our history and culture, and the practice of slaughtering them to satisfy foreign appetites simply does not reflect the admiration we have for these animals,” said Sen. Collins. “In an effort to protect horses, this legislation would deter the transport or purchase of horses for human consumption.”

“The overwhelming majority of Americans oppose horse slaughter for human consumption and the ASPCA is working resolutely to solve equine welfare issues on the ground, but we cannot fully succeed while the slaughter pipeline remains open,” said Nancy Perry, senior vice president of Government Relations for the ASPCA. “We thank Senators Menendez, Graham, Whitehouse, and Collins for their leadership on this bill, and urge Congress to pass the SAFE Act to finally end this cruel, unnecessary practice and provide protections to American horses and the people who love them.”

The SAFE Act was previously excluded from the infrastructure bill that passed the senate last month. Earlier this year, U.S. Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., and Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., introduced the SAFE Act (H.R. 3355) in the U.S. House of Representatives, which has not yet voted on the aforementioned infrastructure bill.

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Letter To The Editor: It’s Not Too Late To Shut Down The Slaughter Pipeline In The U.S.

Thanks to The Paulick Report's excellent coverage, readers are familiar with the slaughter pipeline where U.S. horses, including many off-track Thoroughbreds, are inhumanely transported to Mexico and Canada for slaughter and butchering so their meat can be sold for human food.

(If you're not familiar with this issue, you can learn more in our previous reporting here.)

In case you're a new reader, the slaughter pipeline is the legal practice where “kill pens” across the U.S. buy, hold, and transport horses to slaughter. It's a lucrative but unimaginably cruel business. Tens of thousands of horses, donkeys, and mules are shipped across U.S. highways and sold by the pound each year. Their journey and slaughter are particularly shocking. Unlike cattle, it's difficult to stun or sedate horses, so some are still conscious when they're strung up. Many slaughtered horses were young, healthy, and adoptable. Some were pregnant. Some were straight off their last race. Kill pen buyers are not picky.

Paulick Report readers know — and hate — all this. But what they may not know is that there is yet another chance to make the slaughter pipeline illegal. House Resolution 3684, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (yes, the infamous $3.5 trillion Infrastructure Bill) is now back in the House of Representatives and it holds that chance.

While the Infrastructure Bill was debated in the House in June, Representative Troy Carter of Louisiana offered a simple amendment that promised to finally end the horse slaughter pipeline in this country. His amendment, which became Section 4406 “Transportation of Horses,” passed the House with bipartisan support. However, the bill's text, including the horse amendment, was stripped when it arrived in the Senate. Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey stepped in and offered an identical amendment, but it was never voted on.

So after two noble, but failed efforts, Congress now has another chance to stop this horrible practice and do something Americans agree on.

But Congress' plate is full of urgent business and protecting horses has never been a priority. Make it one this time by contacting your representative and urging him or her to offer an amendment to ban the transport of American slaughter-bound horses, or to support such an amendment if offered by a colleague. Not sure who your representative is? Check here https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

–Kathy Stinson Hessmer
Volunteer at Circle A Home For Horses
Virginia Beach, VA

If you'd like to submit a letter to our editorial staff, please click here.

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U.S. House Passes Amendment To Effectively Ban Horse Slaughter

An amendment that would ban the transportation of horses across state lines or to Canada or Mexico for slaughter for human consumption passed the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday. The amendment is part of the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America (INVEST) Act, bipartisan legislation supported by President Joe Biden that now moves to the Senate for consideration.

The amendment, which would effectively ban horse slaughter in the United States if it becomes law, was sponsored in the House of Representatives by Troy Carter (D-LA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and John Katko (R-NY). The amendment was supported by a number of U.S. Thoroughbred industry organizations, including the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). The NTRA will be advocating for the inclusion of this amendment as part of any final infrastructure bill passed by Congress.

The measure is supported by leading animal welfare groups, including the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), the Animal Welfare Institute, the Humane Society of the United States, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, and Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation – members of a coalition that worked with the sponsors and members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to strengthen the language of this new amendment.

American horses have not been slaughtered for human consumption in the U.S. since 2007, thanks to overwhelming public opposition and a federal restriction on funding. However, a loophole in the law allows tens of thousands of equines to be trucked across U.S. borders each year.

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Amendment Banning Transportation of Horses for Slaughter Passes House

The amendment, which would effectively ban horse slaughter in the United States if it becomes law, was sponsored in the House of Representatives by Troy Carter (D-LA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and John Katko (R-NY) and was supported by a number of U.S. Thoroughbred industry organizations, including the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). In a press release, the NTRA said it will advocate for the inclusion of the amendment as part of any final infrastructure bill passed by Congress.

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