In last week’s News Briefs, it was mentioned that the Texas court had ruled that the slaughtering of horses was illegal. In addition, it was mentioned that the House and Senate bills to ban horse slaughter have been re-introduced. I have been involved with trying to get the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA) made into law for the past four years.
In addition to the two existing plants in Texas, there is a third in the city of DeKalb, Illinois. All of these plants are owned by overseas interests and provide no benefit to our nation’s economy since most of their profits are siphoned overseas. Millions of our tax dollars are wasted by providing them with USDA inspectors while last year it was found that, in 2004, one of the Texas plants paid only $5 in income taxes.
Last year the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA). Unfortunately, time ran out for the measure to be considered by the Senate due to certain politicians who blocked the bill. (Some lost their seats in the November elections).
Henry Waxman, the elected House Representative of this district, was among the supporters of this bill last year. I would urge concerned horse owners to call on Mr. Waxman to co-sponsor the House bill (HR 503) again this year. Senator Boxer is already a co-sponsor of the Senate bill (S.311). However, we need to ask Senator Feinstein to sign on as well. (She did co-sponsor last year’s bill).
For more facts on horse slaughter, please visit: http://www.horse-protection.org/info.php?id=9.