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H. R. 503 - The American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act
It is a tragedy that we need to tell our country
that it is wrong to slaughter horses to put food into the mouth of
foreign interests. It is not to feed their poor or needy, but
to satisfy culinary peculiarities. Likewise, the profits from
this industry do not benefit U.S. corporations, but foreign owned
companies.
*************HISTORY****************
(also see
2006 archives)
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URGENT ACTION
REQUESTED!
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Please
look at the statistics below, particularly the export
figures.
The ONLY
way to end this is through passage of the federal bills.
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2007 Year End Summary for Slaughter Statistics
| 2007 Totals
- All U.S. Horses for Slaughter - 111,771 + * |
2006-
All U.S. Horses for Slaughter - 135,288 + * |
|
U.S.
|
29,761 |
U.S.
|
105,835 |
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Exported to Mexico for
Slaughter |
45,609 |
Exported to
Mexico for Slaughter |
11,080 |
| *Exported to
Canada for Slaughter |
36,401 + |
*Exported to
Canada for Slaughter |
18,373 + |
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*Canadian figures through
September 2007 - full figures will be posted upon
receipt |
*Canadian figures
through September 2006 - full figures will be posted
upon receipt |
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2008 Slaughter
Statistics
Total U.S. Horses
slaughtered week ending 4/26/08
(includes
U.S., exported to Mexico, exported to Canada)
As of 5/1/08
the statistics service will be
discontinued on this site. For
current statistics visit
Statistics from USDA |
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2007 Horses exported to
Mexico from U.S.
for slaughter
Statistics from USDA
Note the
substantial increase over previous year
**NOTE: There were
ZERO horses exported to Mexico for slaughter
during the last week of 2007 |
2007 Horses exported to
Canada from U.S.
for immediate slaughter
Statistics from Canadian
government through end of 09/07
Note the
substantial increase over previous year |
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2007 Year End
Statistics
45,609 |
2006 Year
End Statistics
11,080 |
2007 Year to Date
(01/07 - end of 09/07)
36,401 |
2006 Year to Date
(01/06 - end of 09/06)
18,373
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10/3/07 Do
you need a quick review of the movement to end horse
slaughter?
Racing and the Law, by Chris E. Wittstruck, Esq.
provides an unbiased and accurate overview of major events
and the current status of U.S. legislation. Article
from
Harnesslink.com.
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Don't be a victim of
SPIN!
Slaughterhouse
Propaganda's
International Nightmare
“The propagandist's purpose is to make one set of
people forget that certain other sets of people are
human”
~ Aldous Huxley |
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1/15/09: H.R.
503 reintroduced
(Rep. Conyers/Burton) into the
House of Representatives of the 111th
Congress. Originally drafted as bill
H.R. 464, the bill number was rescinded to
tie in with the number of the original bill.
Details on the bill to be published as soon
as they are available the government
website. In the meantime, information
may be accessed
here. As in the past, please
contact your legislators to urge them to
co-sponsor the bill. Although it is
early in the session, previous efforts
substantiate the fact that unless immediate
and aggressive action is taken to push these
bills forward, they will be placed in the
deep dark hole of the legislature and left
to go stale. Contact information for
your representative may be accessed through
the Contact Lawmakers
box on this page.
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Wipe the
slate clean again because it is 2009.
The 111th Congress is in session and all previous
pending legislation is null and void. Every bill
that is below this text area; instituted, introduced,
acted upon, not passed in both the House and Senate, not
signed into law, held, etc. is gone.
All actions instituted in the 110th Congress,
covering 2007 & 2008 will soon be archived. For
now, review what is lost and ponder just how we accept
this year after year after year.
2009 action to date in the 111th Congress: H.R.
305, introduced by Rep. Mark Kirk and Steve Cohen would
prohibit the interstate transport of horses in double
decker vehicles. Since the 111th Congress has been
so recently convened, information will appear as
available. How ironic that the number of the bill
is directly backward from H.R. 503 which would have
prevented the slaughter and transport for slaughter but
was successfully buried again. |
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2008
CURRENT LEGISLATION
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State Legislation
-
Texas
- To uphold
the illegal status of horse slaughter
within the state
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Illinois
-
HR1711 -
To amend the Illinois Horst Meat Act
-
New York
- AO2572
and SO1462
to prohibit the slaughter and transport
for slaughter of horses for human
consumption
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Easy Contact Tool
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Federal Legislation
-
H.R.
6598 -
Introduced 7/24/08
- To amend
title 18, United States Code, to
prohibit certain conduct relating to the
use of horses for human consumption.
-
H.R. 503 -
In the House of
Representatives -
To amend the Horse
Protection Act to prohibit the shipping,
transporting, moving, delivering,
receiving, possessing, purchasing,
selling, or donation of horses and other
equines to be slaughtered for human
consumption, and for other purposes.
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S. 311
- In the Senate
- To
amend the Horse Protection Act to
prohibit the shipping, transporting,
moving, delivering, receiving,
possessing, purchasing, selling, or
donation of horses and other equines to
be slaughtered for human consumption,
and for other purposes.
-
H.R. 249 -
In the House of
Representatives
- To restore the
prohibition on the commercial sale and
slaughter of wild free-roaming horses
and burros.
-
The Farm Bill, Section 123 - Special
Alert
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If you
landed here, you may be wondering what
H.R. 503 / S. 311, The American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act
is
("...to
prohibit the shipping, transporting,
moving, delivering, receiving,
possessing, purchasing, selling, or
donation of horses and other equines to
be slaughtered for human consumption,
and for other purposes").
Or... you may already know, and be on
one side or the other.
I
hope that you are on the side that
believes that horses are not raised to
be eaten, but rather are man's
companion, partner, and friend. I
hope that your life includes the joy of
appreciating one of nature's most
beautiful creations ...for some
rewards are greater than money. To
borrow from the lyrics of the song,
I Hope You Dance.
American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503 /
S.311)
A bill to end the
slaughter of horses for human
consumption in the United States and the
export of live horses for the same
purpose has been introduced in the
House of Representatives and the Senate
in the 100th Congress. Information on
each bill follows on this page.
I n
simple terms: Contrary to the
information which is being dispersed by
some factions, when The American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act passes, there
will be NO slaughter of horses in
the U.S.--not for human consumption, not
for carnivore diets ("...for
human consumption, and for other
purposes.")
Additionally, and also contrary to
information being distributed by these
same factions, there will be NO
transport for slaughter out of the U.S.
of horses for slaughter, be it to
Mexico, Canada, etc ("...to
prohibit the shipping, transporting,
moving, delivering, receiving,
possessing, purchasing, selling, or
donation of horses and other equines..").
Implications stating that horses will
sent elsewhere for slaughter are false (
"The coalition warns
that processing plants in Canada and
Mexico would likely take over the
business without the scrutiny and
supervision of U.S. Department of
Agriculture inspectors." reference:
JAVMA
News March 2007)
and should be interpreted as further
spin attempts by special interest groups
tracing to and supported by the
slaughterhouses.
In 2006,
H. R. 503 passed without amendments in
the House of Representatives.
The Senate failed to address the issue
before the 109th Congress adjourned.
The bill is now in the 110th Congress.
"Sometimes it
falls upon a generation to be great.
You can be that great generation."
~Nelson Mandela
*** ACTION NEEDED ON S. 311, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT ***
HERE IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO RIGHT NOW BEFORE THE 110th
CONGRESSIONAL SESSION ENDS THE LAST QUARTER of 2008
(please note: this information is the most up-to-date
and the following action items will be the essence of
any effort this year to pass the AHSPA. Please take the
time to make these calls, send emails and faxes. It is
extremely important for our fight against the suffering
of our horses to take the below actions)
1. CONTACT SENATOR HARRY REID (NV, Dem) - Senate
Majority Leader
Capitol Address: 528 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington,
DC 205100001
Ph: (202)
224-3542 / Fax: (202) 224-7327
District Address: Lloyd D. George Federal Building
333 Las Vegas
Boulevard South, Ste. 8016
Las Vegas, NV
891017075
Ph: (702)
388-5020 / Fax: (702) 388-5030
Why:
S. 311 has passed Senate committee and is awaiting floor
vote. This means that if the bill is brought to the
floor for a vote and we have the majority of senators to
support it, we have a very good chance of passing S. 311
in Senate. The House will then have to mirror this. The
House has voted favorably on HR. 503 (the sister bill in
the House) several times. Now they are in a way waiting
for their Senate counterparts to hold their end.
Harry Reid alone is
currently in a position to bring the bill to the floor
for a vote without any additional Senate actions! This
will effectively give our horses the chance they so
desperately need. URGENT: ASK SENATOR REID TO BRING
S.311 TO THE FLOOR FOR A VOTE!
2. CONTACT SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL (KY, Rep) - Senate
Minority Leader
Capitol Address: 361-A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington,
DC 205100001
Ph: (202)
224-2541 / Fax: (202) 224-2499
District Address: 601 West Broadway Suite 630
Louisville,
KY 402022238
Ph: (502)
582-6304 /Fax: (502) 582-5326
Why:
Support from both Senate leaders would be of
immeasurable importance to us. In addition, the
endorsement of both Senate leaders would mean
representation in both political parties which can in
turn help ensure additional Senator votes and send a
message that this issue spans political borders on a
very high legislative level.
URGENT: ASK SENATOR MCCONNEL TO SUPPORT
S.311 AND HELP BRING IT TO THE FLOOR FOR A VOTE!
3. CALL YOUR SENATORS TO BUILD OUR S. 311 COSPONSOR LIST
Thank them if they're a cosponsor of S. 311 or, if they
are not, urgently request that they become a cosponsor
of S. 311.
This is the list of S.311 cosponsors at the moment:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SN00311:@@@P
This is how to contact your senators:
https://community.hsus.org/humane/leg-lookup/search.html
Why:
when S. 311 is brought to the floor for a vote, we need
the 60 cosponsors to pass the AHSPA in Senate; more
cosponsors of the bill in Senate will send a strong
message to the pro-slaughter showing strong legislative
support for outlawing horse slaughter.
We need to do this now. This Congress will adjourn some
time between September and December of 2008.
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H.R. 6598
(FEDERAL)
How powerful is H.R. 6598, the
substitute bill?
Hoping to placate the effort to end horse
slaughter and transport for slaughter within the U.S. H.R. 6598
seemed to be the only focus of the anti-slaughter contingent in the
U.S. The action on 9/23/08 was purported to be a
positive step in this direction. However, further actions on
this bill tell otherwise:
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- 9/23/2008:
- Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism,
and Homeland Security Discharged.
- 9/23/2008:
- Committee Consideration and
Mark-up Session Held.
- 9/23/2008:
- Ordered to be Reported (Amended)
by Voice Vote.
- 9/28/2008 8:38pm:
- Reported (Amended) by the
Committee on 110-901, Part I.
- 9/28/2008:
- Referred sequentially to the
House Committee on Agriculture for a period ending
not later than Sept. 29, 2008 for consideration of
such provisions of the bill and amendment as fall
within the jurisdiction of that committee pursuant
to clause 1(a), rule X.
- 9/29/2008 4:52pm:
- House Committee on Agriculture
Granted an extension for further consideration
ending not later than Oct. 2, 2008.
- 10/2/2008 1:45pm:
- House Committee on Agriculture
Granted an extension for further consideration
ending not later than Oct. 3, 2008.
The text of the bill has now been
amended to reduce penalties from 3 years to 1 year:
9/28/2008--Reported to House amended, Part I.
Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act
of 2008 - Amends the federal criminal code to
impose a fine and/or prison term of up to three
years for possessing, shipping, transporting,
purchasing, selling, delivering, or receiving:
(1) any horse (i.e., member of the family
Equidae) with the intent that it be slaughtered
for human consumption; or (2) any horse flesh or
carcass with the intent that it be used for
human consumption. Reduces the prison term to
one year if the offense involves less than five
horses or less than 2,000 pounds of horse flesh
or carcass and the offender has no prior
conviction for this offense.
Requires the Attorney General to
provide for the humane placement or disposition
of any horse seized in connection with an
offense under this Act.
Substitute bills which side step
the real issue are no more inclined to success than the
originals which contained concrete language which actually
had the legal teeth to make a difference. Short cuts
are not the answer. Keep in mind that H.R. 249 to end
the slaughter of our wild horses and burros was actually
passed in the House in April of 2007. Due to a
government structure which plays more like a board game than
forward progress. When you are placing your vote in
November, and hopefully you will, remember that promises are
no substitute for demonstrated action.
9/23/08 - H.R. 6598
released by the House Judiciary Committee and sent to the House as reported
by various sources? See above.
Monday, September 15th
is a National Call In Day for Horses. Use the
Contact Tool for telephone numbers.
If you miss the official day, any day would be appropriate to make
your support known. The Contact Tool also provides mail and
email contact forms.
7/24/08 - Prevention of Equine
Cruelty Act of 2008, sponsored by
Rep. John Conyers introduced and referred to the House Judiciary
Committee on July 24, 2008. What this bill addresses is the
assigning of penalties for the knowing transport, sale, delivery, or
export of horses for human consumption. Apparently, this is a
last minute work around for the legislation that our representatives
cannot seem to move forward with the original bills. |
This bill does not achieve what
the bills, already introduced, would accomplish. However,
since our representatives have seemingly abandoned their quest to
pursue the important legislation already on the books,
contact them in support of this new bill.
A partial attempt at a "fix" is better than none, and perhaps they
will find the initiative to put this forward.
H.R. 6598 would attempt to enforce the proposed
regulations with resultant unspecified fines and/or imprisonment not
to exceed 3 years. There are many "ifs" attached to the text
which would leave easy loopholes for violators, and allow for lesser
discretionary penalties, such as no previous convictions under the
same section and "if the conduct involves less than five
horses or less than 2000 pounds of horse flesh or carcass or part of
a carcass."
The bill currently has 121 co-sponsors.
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Latest Major Action:
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10/3/2008 4:09pm:
- House
Committee on Agriculture Granted
an extension for further
consideration ending not later
than Jan. 3, 2009.
- (If you haven't figured
this one out, that date is after
the 110th Congress has ended,
thus making further action null
and void.)
9/28/2008 8:38pm: Reported
(Amended) by the Committee on 110-901, Part
I.
9/28/2008: Referred
sequentially to the House Committee on
Agriculture for a period ending not later
than Sept. 29, 2008 for consideration of
such provisions of the bill and amendment as
fall within the jurisdiction of that
committee pursuant to clause 1(a), rule X.
9/29/2008 4:52pm: House
Committee on Agriculture Granted an
extension for further consideration ending
not later than Oct. 2, 2008.
10/2/2008 1:45pm: House
Committee on Agriculture Granted an
extension for further consideration ending
not later than Oct. 3, 2008.
9/23/2008:
Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and
Homeland Security Discharged.
9/23/2008: Committee
Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
9/23/2008: Ordered to be
Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
(sent to House)
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- 7/25/2008: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime,
Terrorism, and Homeland Security
- 7/24/2008: Referred to the House Committee on the
Judiciary
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The SECRET Hold. Yes, that's right.
It's a secret. In a
game show like move, contestants (aka our
legislators) are allowed to circumvent legislation
and not reveal who, what, where, why. This is
the same tactic that was used in 2006 to stall H.R.
503 out of any possibility of reaching the floor of
the Senate.
Read all about it.
The
Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act,
H.R. 4239
S. 3880, was passed in
November of 2006. The interpretation can be
somewhat broad, as can the definition of "animal
rights extremists" and "innocent people."
Hopefully, the need will never arise to be caught in
the cross hairs of its interpretation.
If you read this bill and think that peaceable
assembly is exempt, read again.
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■
President signs Animal Enterprise Terrorism
Act. A bill that will aid in the
prosecution of animal rights extremists who
target innocent people who work with animals
was signed into law by President Bush on
Nov. 27. S. 3880, the “Animal Enterprise
Terrorism Act,” put forth by Sen. James
Inhofe (R-Okla.), will give needed
protection to scientists, medical
researchers, ranchers, farmers and other
businesspersons who work with animals. Sen.
Inhofe called the bill “an important step in
the effort to combat animal rights
extremists’ increasingly violent tactics...
We can no longer tolerate criminally based
activism regardless of the cause it
allegedly advances.”
―National Cattlemen’s Beef
Association |
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H.R. 503
(FEDERAL)
1/17/2007 -
The American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act, is introduced in the House of
Representatives
by Representatives Janice Schakowsky (IL), Ed Whitfield (KY), John
Spratt (SC) , Nick Rahall (WV), and 59 co-sponsors.
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Latest Major Action:
3/2/2007 Referred to the
subcommittee on
Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry, within
the Agriculture Committee (where
it remains one year later in 4/2008)
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NO
and
YES or
NO VOTE
indicates recorded vote on H.R. 503 as
previously presented in the 109th
Congress if Representative was in office during
that session.
NO
Chairman Collin Peterson
and
NO
Ranking Member Bob Goodlatte
are ex-officio members of all subcommittees. |
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Majority
-
NO
Leonard L. Boswell,
IA,
Chairman
-
Kirsten E.
Gillibrand,
NY
-
Steve Kagen,
WI
-
NO
Tim Holden,
PA
-
YES
Joe Baca,
CA
-
NO
Dennis A. Cardoza,
CA
-
Nick Lampson,
TX
-
Joe Donnelly,
IN
-
NO
Jim Costa,
CA
-
Tim Mahoney,
FL
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Minority
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1/17/2007 Referred to House
committee. Status: Referred to
the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in
addition to the Committee on
Agriculture*, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned. |
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Committee on Agriculture
You can
contact this committee
*This committee is decided NOT
in favor of ending slaughter. Leaders Bob
Goodlatte and Collin Peterson stand front and
center in efforts on behalf of the
slaughterhouses. In the past, the
Agriculture Committee has held the bill up and
proposed poison pill amendments to stop the
legislation from going forward. If
allowed, it can be expected that more of the
same will follow.
NO
and YES
or NO VOTE
indicates recorded vote on H.R. 503 as
previously presented in the 109th
Congress if Representative was in office during
that session. |
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Democratic Majority
NO
Collin C. Peterson,
MN
Chairman |
Republican Minority
NO
Bob Goodlatte, VA
Ranking Minority Member
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-
NO
Tim Holden,
PA, Vice Chairman
-
YES
Mike McIntyre,
NC
-
YES
Bob Etheridge,
NC
-
NO
Leonard L. Boswell,
IA
-
YES
Joe Baca,
CA
-
NO
Dennis A. Cardoza,
CA
-
YES
David Scott,
GA
-
NO
Jim Marshall,
GA
-
NO
Stephanie
Herseth,
SD
-
NO
Henry Cuellar,
TX
-
NO
Jim Costa,
CA
-
NO
John T.
Salazar,
CO
-
Brad
Ellsworth,
IN
-
Nancy E.
Boyda,
KS
-
Zachary T.
Space,
OH
-
Timothy J.
Walz,
MN
-
Kirsten E.
Gillibrand,
NY
-
Steve Kagen,
WI
-
NO
Earl Pomeroy,
ND
-
NO
Lincoln Davis,
TN
-
NO
John Barrow,
GA
-
Nick Lampson,
TX
-
Joe Donnelly,
IN
-
Tim Mahoney,
FL
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-
YES
Terry Everett,
AL
-
NO
Frank D.
Lucas,
OK
-
NO
Jerry Moran,
KS
-
NO
Robin Hayes,
NC
-
YES
Timothy V.
Johnson,
IL
-
NO
Sam Graves,
MO
-
NO
Jo Bonner,
AL
-
NO
Mike Rogers,
AL
-
NO
Steve King,
IA
-
NO
Marilyn N.
Musgrave,
CO
-
NO
Randy
Neugebauer,
TX
-
NO
Charles W.
Boustany,
Jr.,
LA
-
YES
John R.
"Randy" Kuhl,
NY
-
NO
Virginia Foxx,
NC
-
NO
K. Michael
Conaway,
TX
-
NO
Jeff
Fortenberry,
NE
-
YES
Jean Schmidt,
OH
-
Adrian Smith,
NE
-
YES
Kevin
McCarthy,
CA
-
Timothy
Walberg,
MI
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Committee on Energy and Commerce
You can
contact this committee
NO
and YES
or NO VOTE
indicates recorded vote on H.R. 503 as
previously presented in the 109th Congress if
Representative was in office during that
session. |
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Democratic Majority
YES
John D. Dingell, MI
Chairman
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Republican Minority
NO
Joe Barton, TX
Ranking Member |
-
YES
Henry A. Waxman, CA
-
YES
Edward J. Markey, MA
-
YES
Rick Boucher, VA
-
NO
VOTE Edolphus Towns, NY
-
YES
Frank Pallone, Jr., NJ
-
NO
Bart Gordon, TN
-
YES
Bobby L. Rush, IL
-
YES
Anna G. Eshoo, CA
-
YES
Bart Stupak, MI
-
YES
Eliot L. Engel, NY
-
YES
Albert R. Wynn, MD
-
YES
Gene Green, TX
-
YES
Diana DeGette, CO,
Vice Chair
-
YES
Lois Capps, CA
-
NO
Mike Doyle, PA
-
YES
Jane Harman, CA
-
YES
Tom Allen, ME
-
YES
Jan Schakowsky, IL
-
YES
Hilda L. Solis, CA
-
YES
Charles A. Gonzalez, TX
-
YES
Jay Inslee, WA
-
YES
Tammy Baldwin, WI
-
NO
Mike Ross, AR
-
YES
Darlene Hooley, OR
-
YES
Anthony D. Weiner, NY
-
NO
Jim Matheson, UT
-
NO
G. K. Butterfield, NC
-
NO
Charlie Melancon, LA
-
NO
John Barrow, GA
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-
YES
Ralph M. Hall, TX
-
J. Dennis Hastert, IL
-
YES
Fred Upton, MI
-
NO
Cliff Stearns, FL
-
NO
Nathan Deal, GA
-
YES
Ed Whitfield, KY
-
NO
Charlie Norwood, GA
-
NO
Barbara Cubin, WY
-
NO
John Shimkus, IL
-
NO
Heather Wilson, NM
-
NO
John Shadegg, AZ
-
NO
Charles W. “Chip” Pickering,
MS
-
YES
Vito Fossella, NY
-
NO
Steve Buyer, IN
-
NO
George Radanovich, CA
-
YES
Joseph R. Pitts, PA
-
YES
Mary Bono, CA
-
NO
Greg Walden, OR
-
NO
Lee Terry, NE
-
YES
Mike Ferguson, NJ
-
YES
Mike Rogers, MI
-
YES
Sue Myrick, NC
-
NO
John Sullivan, OK
-
NO
Tim Murphy, PA
-
YES
Michael C. Burgess, TX
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S. 311
(FEDERAL)
1/17/2007
- In
the Senate,
the Virgie S. Arden
American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act is introduced
by Senators Mary Landrieu (LA) and John Ensign
(NV)*, and 11 original co-sponsors.
11/14/07 -
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar #488, under General
Orders.
*Senator Ensign (NV) is a
veterinarian. Although the AAEP has adopted the pro slaughter
platform, it is important to note that the entire membership does
not share this view.
- Latest Major
Action:
- 11/14/2007:
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under
General Orders. Calendar No. 488.
(where it remains as of 4/2008)
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YES
indicates if Senator was listed as a co-sponsor
of S. 1915, as the bill was previously presented in the 109th Congress if
Senator was in office during that
session. 2007
indicates if they are currently a co-sponsor of
S. 311, as now introduced into the 110th
Congress. |
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Democrat
YES
Chairman Daniel K. Inouye
- HI |
Republican
YES
Co-Chairman Ted Stevens
- AK |
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Results of the
Committee Markup:
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Committee
April 25, 2007
3:28 p.m.: The
committee begins to address S.311.
Senator Thune,
SD, objects and begins lengthy diatribe with cut
and paste pro slaughter rhetoric.
In support,
Barbara Boxer speaks in favor of the bill,
presenting facts from California.
Yeas and Nays
called for, but more rhetoric from Thune (?) who
wished to go on the record with this opposition.
Voice vote
called. RESULTS: Yeas - 15, Nays - 7
Concludes at 3:38
and brings us one step closer to a full vote on
the bill.
|
RESULTS
Individual Vote Results by
Committee Member
Audio difficult to
hear/understand during voice vote.
If vote is uncertain
?
is indicated,
until transcript is posted and votes
confirmed. |
| YEAS |
NAYS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
H.R. 249
(FEDERAL)
|
H.R. 249 to Restore Protection
for the Wild Horses and Burros from Slaughter
H.R. 249 has PASSED in the
House of Representatives.
Please
contact your Senators
to vote IN FAVOR of this
bill.
|
For
FedNet coverage, click on the film cell.
Live Thursday, April 26.
The House meets at 10:00 a.m., or tune in
on C-SPAN.
Update 4/26 -
Live on C-SPAN (FedNet tech difficulties)
In the
House of Representatives
VICTORY ON
H.R. 249!
12:38 p.m. 4/26/07
H.R. 249 on the House floor -
April 26, 2007
|
This is Take Your
Son or Daughter to Work Day at
the House and there are a number
of children present.
Personally, I
wouldn't want my children
subjected to speeches by people
that think slaughtering horses
is an acceptable practice. |
This is the only legislative
bill scheduled in the House today. The
House begins addressing the bill at 10:15
a.m. Rep. Sutton, OH and Rahall, WV
open with the heart of the bill.
If you live in the state of
Utah, run for your life.
Representative Rob Bishop, UT, is either
grossly misinformed or has a penchant for
lies when he states that no wild horses have
been sold for slaughter. The spin that
is being presented is inaccurate and
incomplete. By his own admission, he
is not familiar with horses and that fact is
clearly demonstrated. Points from both
sides are currently being presented with
Representative Rahall at the helm of the the
anti slaughter legislation.
11:00 a.m. Rep Tom Price, GA,
submits Amendment #2 which would be "Pay As
You Go -- new spending must have
specific offset before the legislation can
take effect." Rep Rahall rises in
opposition to the attempted amendment which
would thwart the bill. Bishop again
launches into his rhetoric regarding BLM's
contract stating that no horse can legally
be sold for slaughter at this time.
Rep. Moran, VA, counters with anti slaughter
point of view stressing humanity and
respect. Rep. Whitfield, KY, speaks on
behalf of our horses and exposes the
economics of the 10 cent per acre lease that
the ranchers are allowed in the west, as
well as the subversive tactics which
originally stripped the wild horses and
burros of this protection. Kuchinich,
OH speaks in favor of the horses, exposing
the underhanded dealings of the BLM to allow
their slaughter. Bishop, UT, comes
back with numbers of "horses standing in
pens" and again repeats his erroneous
rhetoric of the illegality of selling the
BLM horses for slaughter. Amendment #2
stuck down by voice vote. Price of GA
requests recorded vote and is granted
recorded vote (15 minutes allotted).
|
Results of
attempt to add Amendment #2 to
H.R. 249.
The amendment
will not be allowed.
Yea - 187
Nay - 238 |
11:55 a.m. Price,
GA attempts again to insert "Motion to
recommit with instructions," which
states effective date of H.R. 249
not to be until 60 days after the
secretary certifies to Congress that the
long term care of the horses does not
exceed $500,000 annually. This is
the same type of last minute poison pill
amendments that were attempted to kill
H.R. 503 during the House floor session
last year. Voice vote defeats the
proposal, and again Price, GA calls for
recorded vote.
|
Results of
attempt to add Motion to
Recommit with Instructions to
H.R. 249.
Will not be
allowed.
Yea - 182
Nay - 234 |
12:28 p.m. Voice vote on passage
of H.R. 249. Ayes have it.
Recorded vote requested by Rep from MS.
Five minute vote is underway.
Now on to
the Senate! Please
remember to thank your Representatives
and start asking your Senators for
support.
It is even more important that we get
H.R. 503 out of the Agriculture
Committee and moved on to the House.
The Agriculture Committee is our single
largest block in this legislation.
|
Nevada adds the Wild and Free license
plate through the efforts of
Horse Power on behalf of the state's wild horses and
burros. |
Breaking News: H.R. 249 is on the schedule - 11:00
a.m. 1:30 p.m. (time changed) on 3/7/07.
The House Natural
Resources Committee will meet in an open
markup session to mark up the following
bills:
...H.R. 249 (Rahall), To restore the
prohibition on the commercial sale and
slaughter of wild free-roaming horses and
burros.
The markup will be webcast live
on the Committee’s web site at
http://resourcescommittee.house.gov.
Understanding
Markup
from Library of
Congress/Thomas
"After hearings are
completed, the
subcommittee usually
will consider the
bill in a session
that is popularly
known as the
"markup" session.
The views of both
sides are studied in
detail and at the
conclusion of
deliberation a vote
is taken to
determine the action
of the subcommittee.
It may decide to
report the bill
favorably to the
full committee, with
or without
amendment, or
unfavorably, or
without
recommendation. The
subcommittee may
also suggest that
the committee
"table" it or
postpone action
indefinitely. Each
member of the
subcommittee,
regardless of party
affiliation, has one
vote. Proxy voting
is no longer
permitted in House
committees."
OUTCOME:
The bill be
favorably reported
to the House without
amendments.
|
1/5/2007, a bill to end the
slaughter of wild horses and burros
has been introduced into the House of Representatives by Rep. Nick
Rahall (WV) and Ed Whitfield (KY).
|
Latest Major Action
(where it remains one year
later in 4/2008):
|
|
NO
and YES
or NO VOTE
indicates recorded vote on H.R. 503 as
previously presented in the 109th Congress if
Representative was in office during that
session. |
|
Democratic Majority
YES
Nick J. Rahall, II, WV
Chairman
|
Republican Minority
NO
Don Young, AK
Ranking Member
|
-
YES
Dale E. Kildee, MI
-
Eni F.H. Faleomavaega,
American Samoa
-
YES
Neil Abercrombie, HI
-
YES
Solomon P. Ortiz, TX
-
YES
Frank Pallone, Jr., NJ
-
Donna M. Christensen,
Virgin Islands
-
YES
Grace F. Napolitano, CA
-
YES
Rush D. Holt, NJ
-
YES
Raúl M. Grijalva, AZ
-
Madeleine Z. Bordallo,
Guam
-
NO Jim Costa, CA
-
NO Dan Boren, OK
-
John P. Sarbanes, MD
|
-
YES
George Miller, CA
-
YES
Edward J. Markey, MA
-
YES
Peter A. DeFazio, OR
-
YES
Maurice D. Hinchey, NY
-
YES
Patrick J. Kennedy, RI
-
NO Ron Kind, WI
-
YES
Lois Capps, CA
-
YES
Jay Inslee, WA
-
NO Mark Udall, CO
-
YES
Joe Baca, California
-
YES
Hilda L. Solis, CA
-
NO Stephanie Herseth,
SD
- Heath Shuler, NC
|
-
YES
Jim Saxton, NJ
-
NO VOTE Elton
Gallegly, CA
-
NO
John J.
Duncan, Jr., TN
-
YES
Wayne T. Gilchrest, MD
-
YES
Ken Calvert, CA
-
NO
Chris Cannon,
UT
-
NO
Thomas G.
Tancredo, CO
-
NO
Jeff Flake,
AZ
-
YES
Rick Renzi, AZ
-
NO
Stevan
Pearce, NM
-
YES
Henry E. Brown, Jr., SC
-
Luis G.
Fortuño, Puerto Rico
-
NO
Cathy
McMorris Rodgers, WA
|
-
YES
Bobby Jindal, LA
-
NO
Louie Gohmert,
TX
-
NO
Tom Cole, OK
-
NO
Rob Bishop,
UT
-
YES
Bill Shuster, PA
-
Dean Heller,
NV
-
Bill Sali, ID
-
Doug Lamborn, CO
|
|
|
|
3/6/07
Important milestone for horses in
Texas. The
full panel of U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit,
upholds the legality of the 1949 Texas bill finding slaughter of
horses in the state for human consumption ILLEGAL. The
slaughterhouses now have 90 days to file an appeal with the U.S.
Supreme Court. |
|
|
|
|
H.B. 2476
and
S.B. 1742
(STATE)
Current Status:
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied
the appeal efforts before them from the slaughterhouse attorneys in
Texas. Remain alert for continued efforts, particularly in
covert amendments inserted into other bills, to be attempted in the
Texas legislature.
|
5/10/07
Go here
NOW:
Breaking news from Texas Horse Talk
Attempts are underway to insert covert
legislation to restore the legality of horse
slaughter in Texas. This is being done
by attaching amendments to bills which are
pending approval. It is of the utmost
importance that action is taken to defeat
this move which is the same tactic which
allowed the removal of protection for the
wild horses and burros by Conrad Burns.
Be very aware of what your
legislators in Texas are inserting into these bills to subvert the laws
prohibiting slaughter.
Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy,
who inserted this amendment, would probably
like to hear from you.
|
Identical bills to restore the
legality of horse slaughter for human consumption in Texas.
H.B. 2476 has been filed with
the
Texas legislature
on 3/5/07 by Texas Representative Sid Miller. This
bill, if allowed to become law,
would restore the
legality of horse slaughter for human consumption in
Texas FOR EXPORT with a target date of September 7,
2007. S.B.
1742 was filed 3/9/07 by Rep. Harris.
If you are a resident of Texas, please
contact your representatives NOW.
Tell your neighbors
and friends to do the same.
Tools for
contacting your correct representative are below.
You may also sign up for alerts on the bill.
|
Recent
Action on H.B. 2476 |
Recent
Action on S.B. 1742 |
|
Referred to Agriculture
and Livestock |
|
03/13/07 |
|
| Read
first time |
|
03/13/07 |
|
|
Filed |
|
03/05/07 |
|
|
|
Filed |
|
03/09/2007 |
|
|
Received by the
Secretary of the Senate |
|
03/09/2007 |
|
|
A similar bill,
H.B. 1324, was
filed in the state of Texas in 2003 by
Representative Betty Brown (R-Kaufman), Geren, and
Miller. Although it passed in the Texas House
of Representatives, it died in the Texas Senate.
Text of the 2003 bill.
We cannot afford
to give them to slightest chance to get this passed.
The situation for the slaughterhouses is far more
desperate this time and they will be fighting harder
to get it passed.
|
1/19/07
U. S. District court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, finds that the
Texas Slaughterhouses, Beltex and Dallas Crown, are in violation of
Chapter 149
and are operating illegally.
Details from Star-Telegram (Dallas/Fort Worth)
U.S. Courts of Appeals, Fifth District - January 19, 2007 document
|
**Kaufman, TX Mayor Paula Bacon is
coming up for reelection on May 7, 2007.**
A tireless crusader
in the effort to close Dallas Crown, she needs our help
to fight the slaughter interests which are working so
diligently to prevent her reelection. If you can
help by donations or in any other capacity, please visit
her site at:
Paula Bacon for Mayor
|
Stay
on top of the news in Texas with
Texas Horse
Talk Magazine
|
Update on slaughterhouse plans for
appeal- 2/18/07
Attorneys for Beltex, Dallas Crown, and
Empacadora de Carnes de Fresnillo, S.A. de C.V.
(Mexico slaughterhouse which has implied that they may
hope to someday do business in the state of Texas: from
U.S. Court of Appeals 1/19/07 document:
"an entity that merely transports
horsemeat through Texas but engages in no other
commercial activity within the State, as Empacadora
speculates it may do one day.")
have asked for the full panel of 5th Circuit judges to
review and overturn the ruling passed down on
January 19, 2007 by Judges Barksdale, Benavides, and
Owen.
As of this date, a decision has not
been made. It is reported that the Tarrant County
district attorney has until Friday, February 23 to
respond to the appeal request.
It can be speculated that, failing
this attempt, other avenues to circumvent the ruling
will be approached. From
TimesRecord News.com, "Former U.S. Rep. Charlie
Stenholm, a lobbyist for ban opponents, said he expects
a major effort in the Texas Legislature this session to
repeal a state law prohibiting the processing, sale or
transfer of horsemeat for human consumption. "
|
|
|
Horses
in limbo at Dallas Crown.
While the slaughterhouses position
themselves for their next move, horses are left in
holding pens or transferred to feed lots. We
wonder if they are being cared for or if, like
everything else, the slaughterhouses are allowed to
subvert the laws of animal welfare and are excused from
their obligations to these animals. As of 2/5/07
the slaughter at Dallas Crown resumed on a limited
basis. They have apparently exported horses to
Mexico for the purpose of slaughter in order to continue
the parent company's operation in this part of the
world. The slaughter of horses in Texas for human
consumption is illegal.
The Humane Society of the U.S. offered to take custody
of the horses but was ignored. Delta,
Northwest, and American Airlines have stopped
transporting horsemeat due to the illegality.
Cosco Container Lines Americas, Inc. (a Chinese
shipping company) has apparently been retained in their
place. |
|
Texas Agriculture Code, Sec. 149.002.
SALE OR POSSESSION OF HORSEMEAT
A person commits an offense if:
(1) the person sells, offers for sale, or exhibits
for
sale horsemeat as food for human consumption; or
(2) the person possesses horsemeat with the intent
to
sell the horsemeat as food for human consumption. |
The
slaughterhouses had previously challenged the long standing state
law which has been in existence since 1949, obtaining an injunction
from the district court which barred them from prosecution.
|
Background:
U. S. DISTRICT COURT,
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS, FORT
WORTH DIVISION
(legal document)
Texas Prohibition on
Slaughter of Horses (Beltex & Dallas
Crown, plaintiffs, vs. Tarrant County
and Kaufman County, defendants |
|
The slaughterhouses, Beltex and Dallas Crown, are no longer exempt
from prosecution for conducting illegal operations within the state
of Texas.
SAPL further explains the ruling and the steps that the
slaughterhouses may take to further preempt the ruling. In an
announcement from former Representative
Charles Stenholm of law and lobbying firm
Olsson, Frank, and Weeda, P.C., (representing Beltex and Dallas
Crown) the
slaughterhouses are considering their options. They are
represented by Fort Worth attorney
David Broiles (Mr. Broiles, a board member of the Texas ACLU,
also represents Cindy Sheehan in the
Crawford Protest Case).
More,
from a financial perspective, on Bloomberg.com.
In
a related item, the city of Kaufman, Texas is
still involved in its fight to shut down Dallas Crown with an
approaching court date of January 29, 2007.
|
1/24/07 Information
received states that Texas slaughterhouses, Beltex and
Dallas Crown, have ceased operation, if only for 1 day.
This does not mean that it is a permanent end, only
that, perhaps out of fear of prosecution (since the
injunction exempting them from prosecution was rescinded
with the most recent Texas ruling, and appeals have not
been instituted yet) they are at least temporarily
closed. It was stated in the Dallas/Ft Worth
Star-Telegram on 1/24, that they will appeal the ruling
to both the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S.
Supreme Court, and that they have no intention of
closing their doors.
Reportedly,
there are still horses on their properties and in their
feedlots but they have stopped accepting incoming
horses. Also, reportedly, there are no airline
shipping containers visible on the property (on Tuesday
the
Humane Society urged airlines to
stop shipment on horsemeat from Texas
due to the recent ruling.
Keep in mind that the
slaughterhouses have no intentions of closing their
multi million dollar operations, so this may last for 1
day or for longer. As related issues gain momentum
across the U.S. it is very important to contact your
Senators and Representatives (again, if you have done it
in the past), as the passage of H.R. 503/S. 311, and the
wild horse bill HR. 249 is the only way to assure an end
to slaughter. |
|
| |
|
|
From NBC5.com, Chicago, click the
film cell for video of the some of the horses
that narrowly escaped slaughter at Cavel. |
 |
Slaughter of Horses Blocked for Now
(Cavel stops the slaughter line
3/29/07) |
Victory in Illinois!
Current Status:
6/16/08
The U.S. Supreme Court
denies Cavel's
challenge of the Illinois law prohibiting horse
slaughter.
6/28/07
Cavel can pack up their execution equipment
again. Today marked the end of the second and most
recent temporary stay granted by U.S. District Court
Judge Frederick Kapala. In a new ruling, issued on
this date in response to Cavel International, Inc. vs.
Lisa Madigan, et al., Kapala has directed that Cavel no
longer has a "better than negligible chance of
succeeding" in overturning the state law. The stay
granting protection from prosecution for violating the
laws of the state of Illinois has ended and the
slaughter stops. Appeals are still underway.
6/14/07
U.S. District Court Judge Frederick Kapala again grants
Cavel a reprieve. On what was to be the
last day of their original "temporary restraining order"
Kapala extends the operation for another 10 days while
Cavel continues to challenge the law that was passed
through proper channels in the state of Illinois.
It makes you wonder just what goes on, doesn't it?
Apparently we've missed something in that Belgium is now
calling the shots in the state of Illinois.
THE COMMERCE CLAUSE and how it may effect the laws of
Illinois.
6/1/07
Cavel has been granted a temporary restraining order which is effective
through June 14 during which they may resume slaughter for human
consumption. The ruling, as a result of the lawsuit filed by Cavel
on May 25 "claiming a new law banning the slaughter of horses intended for
human consumption is unconstitutional," was granted by
U.S.
District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Judge Frederick Kapala.
The restraining order prevents both Illinois state and DeKalb county
officials from enforcing the new law banning slaughter for human consumption
and transport for within the state. Hearings are scheduled for June 12
and 14. It is interesting to note that U.S. District Judge Kapala, of
Illinois, was nominated to the U.S. District Court and
voted in unanomously on May 8, 2007. Kapala was
nominated to the position by Senators
Barack Obama and
Richard Durbin.
Documents will be now be filed with the U.S. District Court of for the
Northern District of Illinois on behalf of AWI and SAPL opposing Cavel's
foreign owners' use of the court system to subvert laws in the state of
Illinois.
5/24/07 Governor Blagojevich has signed H.B. 1711
into law, effective immediately. Watch for continuing efforts
by Cavel to circumvent the passage of this bill.
Be Aware:
Illinois bills, introduced 5/23/07,
HB4102 and companion bill
SB1844 are currently under consideration in the Illinois
legislature. These bills would amend the Horse Meat Act and
regard the legal slaughter of horses for animal consumption.
They were put forth by
Representative Robert W. Pritchard (70th District/DeKalb
County), and
Senator J. Bradley Burzynski (35th District/DeKalb County),
representing the interests of Cavel.
5/16/07 By a vote of 39 - 16 the
Illinois Senate today approved a ban on the slaughter of
horses for human consumption in the state of Illinois.
The bill will now go to Governor Rod Blagojevich to be
signed into law. Congratulations and a heart
felt thank you to all of you, especially in Illinois,
who have worked so hard to make this a reality.
More information on
Cavel and its ongoing problems on
The Road to the
Slaughterhouse page.
**************************************************************************************************************
HB1711, a bill to amend the Illinois Horse Meat Act
(STATE)
4/18/07 Illinois House of
Representatives
3rd reading,
PASSED 74 - 41.
Now on to the Illinois
Senate.
|
5/8/07
In Illinois! H.B. 1711
passes
in the Illinois Senate Committee on Public Health with a
7 - 0 Vote!
This bill has already been given the green light in the
Illinois House and will now move on to the full Senate
for the vote.
Congratulations one and all! You did good!
Let's remind the Illinois Senate that the people do not
wish horses to be executed at Cavel.
ALERT:
5/2/07 UPDATE in Illinois on HB 1711
It has been reported that HB 1711 has
been assigned to the
Illinois Senate Committee on Public Health.
A public hearing is scheduled
for the bill on May 8, 2007.
Please take the time to contact the
members of the
Illinois Senate Committee on Public Health and your
state
Senator now and tell them to vote in YES on HB 1711.
***It is important
to note that Cavel has been
granted a stay by a ruling of
the U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia. This means that slaughter can resume at
any moment in Illinois and the only way to end this on the state level is by
the successful passage of HB 1711.***
Slaughter RESUMED at Cavel on Monday, May 7,
2007.
|
Introduced in the Illinois House by state Representative
Robert S. Molaro on 2/22/07
Action:
2/22/07 Filed with clerk, read, and referred to
Rules Committee
If you are a resident
of Illinois, please contact your Representative NOW and
urge them to vote in favor of this bill. It is
expected that it will come up in the very near future.
Locator for your Illinois Representative.
Latest action:
HB 1711 referred to Executive
Committee, chaired by Representative Daniel J. Burke.
Although his was previously a NO vote,
it will now be a YES!
YOU are making a difference~ The bill is
currently scheduled to be heard by the House Executive
Committee on March 21 at 8:30 a.m. CST, Room 118 or the
Capitol Building. If the Executive Committee
session is broadcast live (audio or video) it will be
found
here at the scheduled time.
UPDATE: The bill passes out
of the Executive Committee with a favorable 8 - 4 vote.
It must still be presented to the Illionios House and
Senate. Voting FOR the bill were Representatives
Acevedo, Berrios, Bradley, Burke, Lyons, Molaro, Rita,
Turner. Voting AGAINST the bill: Biggins, Brady,
Hassert, Meyer. More updates as they become
available.
Stay on top of the regional news on
this bill at the
National Horse Protection Coalition
site.
|
Synopsis of text of the bill:
"Amends
the Illinois Horse Meat Act. Provides that
it is unlawful for any person to slaughter a
horse if that person knows or should know
that any of the horse meat will be used for
human consumption and that any person who
knowingly does so shall be guilty of a Class
C misdemeanor. Provides that is unlawful for
any person to possess, to import into or
export from the State, or to sell, buy, give
away, hold, or accept any horse meat if that
person knows or should know that any of the
horse meat will be used for human
consumption and that any person who
knowingly does so shall be guilty of a Class
C misdemeanor. Repeals a Section that
excludes registered horse meat that is
labeled as such in hermetically sealed
containers and horse meat prepared in
federally inspected plants from the
provisions of the Act. Amends the Animals
Intended for Food Act, the Illinois Equine
Infectious Anemia Control Act, the Humane
Care for Animals Act, and the Humane
Slaughter of Livestock Act to make related
changes. Effective immediately." |
|
|
AO2572 and
SO1462
(STATE)
in NEW YORK
Identical bills introduced into the New York State
Assembly (2572 introduced on 1/17/07 and 1462 on 1/22/07)
|
Synopsis of text of the bill:
"Prohibits any person from
slaughtering a horse where such person knows
or has reason to know that such horse will
be used for human consumption; and prohibits
any person from selling, bartering, giving
away, purchasing, possessing, transporting,
delivering or receiving horseflesh where
such person knows or should know that such
horseflesh is intended for human
consumption; and provides penalties for
violation." |
|
Recent
Action on HO2572 |
Recent
Action on SO1462 |
01/17/2007
referred to Agriculture
Committee
|
01/22/2007
Referred to Consumer Protection
02/13/2007 1st Report CAL.132
02/14/2007 2nd Report CAL.
02/26/2007 Advanced to third
reading
6/19/07 Passed in the Senate
by 60 -1
6/19/07
Delivered to Assembly
6/19/07
Referred to Agriculture
|
PRIOR
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2004: Referred to agriculture.
2005-06:
A.3484 Referred to Codes, passed
Senate. |
|
|
|
|
Take Action!
If your beliefs lead you to the
conclusion that the slaughter of horses in the
United States, by foreign owned interests and produced
for a foreign market, is wrong, please take a moment and
let your Representatives and Senators know. The
links below will assist you in locating the Congressmen
and contact information for your area.
Email your
Representative
Email
your Senator
Representatives and Senators are your direct link to the
principles by which we operate our great country.
Please
remind them to support The American Horse Slaughter
Prevention Act, H.R. 503 in the House of Representatives
and S. 311 in the Senate, and to restore the prohibition
on the sale and slaughter of our wild horses and
mustangs, H.R. 249.
Thank
you from FlyingFilly and from the
millions of your fellow Americans who
love and respect the horse. |
Do not go
gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage
against the dying of the light.
~Dylan Thomas
Remember
Ferdinand |
|
7/27/06 Hearing before
Agriculture Committee scheduled, where it is expected that
Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia) will attempt to alter the
bill dramatically due to his opposition.
Congressman Goodlatte is the same individual who originally held
up the bill for two years after it was first introduced in 2003,
despite the fact that sponsorship had exceeded the number needed to
pass the House. What intere$t does Mr. Goodlatte have in being
such a strong opponent to this bill? Stating "economic
reasons" he seems to have a better than average interest in the
profits of foreign owned subsidies. Perhaps the "economic
reasons" are his own?
Facts do not cease to exist because they are
ignored.
~Aldous Huxley
Quote from Representative Robert Goodlatte following
hearing: ""More and
more members of the House are becoming aware of the problems with
this legislation. It's driven by emotion. We certainly
understand and respect people's emotion, but there are a lot of
facts that get in the way of thinking that this bill would work out
for the benefit of horses. It wouldn't. It would create many, many,
many unwanted horses who would be mistreated and create a multitude
of problems."
Now, I ask you, how is
it that Mr. Goodlatte is the superior authority regarding what is in
the best interest of the horse? Take the time to read the Pro
Slaughter Side above and you will notice striking
dissimilarities in the terminology of opposing points of view.
The Pro Slaughter faction refers to the slaughterhouses as employing
"euthanasia" on the horses. As defined by Webster, euthanasia
is "The act of killing someone painlessly
(especially someone suffering from an incurable illness)."
It is further defined as "humane
destruction." Somehow, it seems
rather doubtful that being stunned by a captive bolt, then hung to
bleed out with death by a severed artery, falls within that
definition. It would be better termed "execution." Goodlatte receives campaign
contributions from the slaughterhouses through their lobbyist
Jim Bradshaw.
Additionally, from the
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7/29/06, in an article lauding former
West Texas Representative Charles Stenholm for his efforts to aid
the slaughter industry :
"Afterward, the
committee voted 37-3 to send the measure to
the floor with an unfavorable recommendation
after adding
'poison pill' amendments that
may guarantee its defeat. One of the
amendments would exempt the three plants
from what Goodlatte called a 'draconian'
measure."
I wonder how hard the Agriculture
Committee laughed when they did that.
Former Representative Charles
Stenholm is now employed as senior advisor for the firm of Olsson,
Frank and Weeda, P.C., who represents the slaughterhouses
(Charlie
Stenholm, Senior Government Affairs Advisor, Olsson, Frank and Weeda
and spokesperson for the three processing plants).
Beltex was a contributor to the
Stenholm for Congress Committee.
Goodlatte and
Stenholm (through Olsson, Frank, and Weeda) are cheek to cheek in
their quest to "buddy up" with their
meat industry contributors.
The following, are the "poison
pill" amendments to H.R. 503 which the Agriculture Committee
proposed:
(Andrew Cohen article, "Slaughtering
a Good Horse Bill," from the Washington
Post, best sums up the strategy behind the "poison pills.")
THEY WERE NOT ATTACHED SUCCESSFULLY TO H.R. 503
|
Peterson Amendment
Collin C.
Peterson, D-MN |
This amendment to H.R. 503 would
make H.R. 503 a pilot program for the states of Kentucky and
New York. |
|
Salazar Amendment
John
T. Salazar, D-CO |
This amendment to H.R. 503 would
require the Secretary to assume responsibility for all
unwanted horses. |
|
Conaway Amendment
Mike
Conaway, R-Texas |
This amendment to H.R. 503 would
require the Secretary to compensate any horse owner who, no
longer having the option of selling a horse for processing,
suffers a loss in value of his horse and incurs the cost of
euthanasia and disposal of the horse. |
|
King Amendment 2
Steve King, R-Iowa
|
This amendment to H.R. 503 would
exempt horses that will be process for charitable or
humanitarian relief purposes. |
|
King Amendment 3
Steve King, R-Iowa |
This amendment to H.R. 503 would
exempt horses that are owned or controlled by a State or
political subdivision of a State or by an individual who
purchased the horse from a State or local government. |
|
King Amendment 5
Steve King, R-Iowa |
This amendment to H.R. 503 would
provide that horses could not be shipped, transported,
moved, delivered, received, possessed, purchased, sold, or
donated to be slaughtered at a plant that is not in
existence on the date of the enactment of this Act. |
| The Food Chain of the Pro
Slaughter Side is remarkably transparent. If
you are deceived by the implied name
www.commonhorsesense.com, and sometimes see it
appear as part of a related article (or as the source of
the article)regarding the merits of continuing horse
slaughter, you may wonder who is behind this
organization.
commonhorsesense.com =aka Horse Welfare
Coalition = slaughterhouses
- Commonhorsesense is the official
web site of the Horse Welfare Coalition.
Although the name implies otherwise, this
organization's priority is not the welfare of
horses, but the slaughter of horses for financial
gain. Horse Welfare Coalition equals the
slaughterhouses.
- Domain name of the
slaughterhouses' website is registered to John
Linebarger, slaughterhouse attorney.
Linebarger appears in some of the video clips from
CBS11 Dallas/Fort Worth, which are at the top of
this page. The practice is not uncommon for
something such as this to be registered in the name
of a corporation's attorney.
- Source of the article is
PRNewswire. This information can be found at
the beginning of the opening paragraph of the
article ("WASHINGTON, July 27 /PRNewswire/ ").
Public Relations specialist
SciWords, LLC's David Sheon is the PR contact
for commonhorsesense. The firm is employed to
release articles which are little more than paid
political advertisements. These firms
subscribe to major in-house electronic news
distribution services which send the manufactured
articles on to newspapers nationwide.
- It is interesting to note, that
another client of SciWords is the USDA. The
USDA, thus the Agriculture Committee, has a
particularly vested interest in the continuance of
the slaughter of horses in the U.S. for profit.
|
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