Anti-Slaughter Provision Gets Backing of Key US House Committee
April 20, 2016
By: Horsetalk
April 20, 2016
A key provision which keeps the horse slaughter industry from operating in the United States has been supported by the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
The committee this week voted to adopt an amendment to the agriculture appropriations bill that would bar spending by the US Department of Agriculture to inspect horse slaughterhouses.
Such inspections are legally required in the US for horse abattoirs to process meat for human consumption, meaning the spending ban would make it impossible for the industry to operate.
The amendment was offered by Reps Sam Farr (D–Calif) and Charlie Dent (R–Pa). It was passed by a vote of 25-23.
A similar amendment is expected to be considered in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The Humane Society of the United States is urging both chambers to pass the measure and prevent the use of American tax dollars for what it calls a cruel practice.
The society’s chief operating officer, Michael Markarian, described the horse slaughter industry as a predatory and inhumane enterprise.
“They don’t ‘euthanize’ old horses, but precisely the opposite: they buy up young and healthy horses, often by misrepresenting their intentions, and kill them to sell the meat to Europe and Japan.”
The society said lawmakers voting yes on the amendment, to protect horses, were: Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Ander Crenshaw (R-FL), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Charlie Dent (R-PA), Sam Farr (D-CA), Michael Honda (D-CA), Steve Israel (D-NY), David Jolly (R-FL), David Joyce (R-OH), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), David Price (D-NC), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Tom Rooney (R-FL), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), Tim Ryan (D-OH), Jose Serrano (D-NY), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Peter Visclosky (D-IN), Kevin Yoder (R-KS).
Lawmakers voting no on the amendment were Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Mark Amodei (R-NV), Ken Calvert (R-CA), John Carter (R-TX), Tom Cole (R-OK), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Kay Granger (R-TX), Tom Graves (R-GA), Andy Harris (R-MD), Jaime Herrera Buetler (R-WA), Evan Jenkins (R-WV), Steven Palazzo (R-MS), Scott Rigell (R-VA), Martha Roby (R-AL), Hal Rogers (R-KY), Mike Simpson (R-ID), Chris Stewart (R-UT), David Valadao (R-CA), Steve Womack (R-AR), David Young (R-IA).
Those not voting were: Henry Cuellar (D-TX), John Culberson (R-TX), Chaka Fattah (D-PA).