Update! Anti-Horse Slaughter Amendment Passed In The U.S. Yesterday!

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The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee passed a crucial anti-horse slaughter amendment yesterday that prevents the USDA from using taxpayer dollars to inspect horse slaughter facilities for a one year period.

Tom Udall (D-NM), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Chris Coons (D-DE) voted in favor of the life-saving measure that effectively halts horse slaughter from resuming in the U.S. for now.

According to Press Release issued by the ASPCA, while the amendment prevents slaughterhouses from opening on U.S. soil for another year, unfortunately, it does not prohibit the current transport of more than 100,000 U.S. horses from being transported to slaughterhouses in Canada and Mexico each year.

To address this issue, Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Ed Royce (R-CA), and Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) introduced the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act (H.R. 113); legislation that would end the current export of American horses for slaughter abroad, and protect the public from consuming tainted horse meat.

“Most Americans find the idea of slaughtering horses for human consumption repulsive, and there is no reason the federal government should contribute to it in any way,” said Senator Udall. “This amendment is a strong step forward, and I will keep fighting to prohibit horse slaughter in the United States.”

As WAN previously reported, the U.S. House of Representatives rejected an amendment by a vote of 25 to 27 that would prohibit funding for horse slaughter inspectors.

Key lawmakers from the House and Senate must find some common ground before sending them to President Trump for signing.

With strong bi-partisan anti-horse slaughter support in the Senate, as per newsofthehorse.com, it is believed that the amendment will be in the final bill sent to the President.