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WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 31, 2008) –
“Every five minutes
an American horse is slaughtered to fill the demand of high-end
European and Asian diners,” Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) federal
policy advisor Liz Ross said today, testifying before the House
Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland
Security in support of a new bill to end the cruel transport and
slaughter of America’s horses.
The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act
of 2008, H.R. 6598, carries criminal penalties for the purchase,
sale, delivery or export of horsemeat intended for human consumption
including fines and prison time. Introduced on July 24, 2008 by
House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and
Representative Dan Burton (R-IN), the bill would amend Title 18 of
the US Code, providing US government officials and law enforcement
officials with the tools necessary to ensure that American horses
are protected from the brutal trade for their meat.
The bill has already garnered
tremendous bipartisan support. “This issue has been vetted in
Congress on multiple occasions and every time any measure to
prohibit or restrict horse slaughter comes up for a vote the tally
is overwhelming in favor of ending this form of animal cruelty,”
Ross stated in her testimony.
“I am proud to be a co-sponsor of
H.R. 6598,” said lead co-sponsor Representative Burton. “We must
treat these magnificent animals with the respect and dignity they
deserve.”
Not only is there legislative
precedence for taking the Judiciary route to address the issue of
horse slaughter – via an earlier incarnation of the American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act that allowed for penalties to be assessed
under Title 18 – but horse slaughter, in every respect, is a form of
animal cruelty and ought to be recognized and treated as such, Ross
explained.
“We thank Representatives Conyers
and Burton, who have afforded the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act
of 2008 a fair opportunity to proceed, as well as Chairman Bobby
Scott for his co-sponsorship and commitment to moving this important
bill,” said Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal
affairs for AWI. “Now that H.R. 6598 has moved from subcommittee, we
hope the Speaker and the Senate will provide similarly swift
consideration for a policy that is supported by the vast majority of
Americans.”
Testifying before the Subcommittee
in favor of H.R. 6598 were, in addition to
Liz Ross;
Dr. John
Boyd, President of the National Black Farmers Association;
Wayne
Pacelle President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States and
Dr. Nick
Dodman of co-founder of Veterinarians for Equine Welfare. The full text of
their statements is available as a PDF by clicking on their names
above.
To view the hearing please visit
the Subcommittee website at:
http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/hear_073108.html
Issue background:
Each year, more than 100,000 horses
are purchased at auction by killer-buyers for export to Canada and
Mexico, where they are brutally slaughtered for human consumption.
In some cases, the killing method involves activities such as knife
stabbing.
In the last Congress, the House of
Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan bill banning
horse slaughter for human consumption by a vote of 263 to 146. The
bill was not taken up by the Senate before the end of the
congressional session.
A 2006 national poll conducted by
Public Opinion Strategies found that almost 70 percent of Americans
already support a federal ban on horse slaughter.
Contact:
Chris Heyde, (703) 836-4300
For over 57
years, the Animal Welfare Institute has been the leading voice for
animals across the country and on Capitol Hill to reduce the sum
total of pain and fear inflicted on animals by humans. To learn more
about us, please visit
www.awionline.org.
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