Got this letter from Diane Feinstein in response to a email sent to her about the slaughter of wild horses in the USA. Here is her response. I think instead of passing a bill year by year not to allow the slaughter of horses in the USA (should also include no transport of horses to MX or Canada to be slaughtered) it should be made permanent so the horses are not up for grabs every year when a current bill expires. Here is her response. Thank you for writing to me to express your support for legislation to end the slaughter of American horses. I appreciate hearing from you, and I welcome the opportunity to respond. I share your belief that the practice of horse slaughter for human consumption is wrong. While horse slaughter for human consumption is prohibited in California, I was disappointed that the Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Act restored funding for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspections of horsemeat under the Federal Meat Inspection Act. As such, slaughter houses could begin selling horse parts for human consumption for the first time since 2005. On March 26, 2013, the President signed into law the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (H.R. 933). This legislation funds the federal government through the end of Fiscal Year 2013. H.R. 933 continues the policy of the fiscal year 2012 appropriations bill, permitting inspection of horse slaughter facilities through fiscal year 2013. On June 20, 2013, I voted in support of an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2014 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill (S. 1244) which would eliminate funding for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection of horse slaughterhouses. The amendment was adopted by the Senate Appropriations Committee and S. 1244 was passed by the Appropriations Committee by a vote of 23 to 6. If this bill is signed into law, it would effectively prevent the sale of horse meat intended for human consumption through Fiscal Year 2014. In addition, Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) has introduced stand-alone legislation, the Safeguard American Food Exports Act of 2013 (SAFE Act, S. 541), to prohibit horse slaughter beyond Fiscal Year 2014. Introduced on March 12, 2013, this legislation would amend section 301 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to deem equine parts unsafe for human consumption and prohibit sale or transport of horse parts in commerce. I am a co-sponsor of S. 541, and am working with Senator Landrieu to secure its passage. On June 11, 2011, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on the unintended consequences from cessation of domestic horse slaughter (gao.gov/assets/320/319926.pdf). According to GAO, from 2006 through 2010, U.S. horse exports for slaughter increased by 148 percent to Canada and 660 percent to Mexico. I am very concerned about the conditions horses face when shipped to other countries and am looking for a way to protect these vulnerable animals. Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. I hope you will continue to write on matters of importance to you. Should you have any additional questions or comments, please contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3841. Best regards.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 15:40:03 +0000
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