Press Release from the Equine Welfare Alliance
Wyoming Congresswoman’s Facts and Information Flawed
WASHINGTON, (EWA) – A last ditch attempt by supporters of horse slaughter crumbled on a procedural issue Wednesday afternoon after Representative Cynthia Lummis (R/WY) introduced a last minute amendment to the agriculture budget that proposed to allow horse slaughter plants to pay for their own inspections.
The amendment ignored the fact that this strategy had already been implemented by the USDA in 2007 and had been successfully challenged in the courts by animal welfare organizations.
The amendment would have been a contradiction to the Federal Meat Inspection act which requires all inspections to be done by government funded inspectors, and it would appear that it would have had to have been an amendment to that law, not the budget, Lummis’ written language was not immediately available.
The amendment immediately set off a heated debate.
At one point Rep. Lummis, apparently became irritated over the fact that the opposition was characterizing her amendment as already having been defeated in committee.
The defeated language would have funded horsemeat inspections whereas the Lummis amendment would have allowed the slaughter plants to pay for their own inspections. The opposition’s position was that the underlying issue of allowing a return of the horse slaughter plants had in fact been defeated in committee.
Lummis went to the rostrum and began to speak about this distinction but an opposing member rose to object to her receiving more time. She became angered by the challenge and stepped down saying “in that case I will not withdraw my amendment”. There had been no indication to that point that she had intended to withdraw it. Rep.Jack Kingston of Georgia and Rep. Adrian Smith (R) Nebraska came to the amendment’s defense, but fellow Republican Dan Burton (IN) urged Lummis to withdraw the amendment on the grounds that it might jeopardize the entire budget.
An angry and visibly confused Lummis returned to the rostrum and voluntarily withdrew her amendment saying “You won’t even let them pay for their own inspections!”
Related articles
- Horse Slaughter Group Launches Bizarre “Know the Facts” Campaign as Vote Nears in House (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Battle to De-Fund U.S. Horse Slaughter is Not Over (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Horse Eating Wyoming Politician Spews More Hatred (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- The High Price of Horse Slaughter (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
At least it is a legislative battle rather than a back door move to eliminate all Wild Horses.
http://www.wildhorserangers.org/blog/?p=82
We need help in stopping this in the next 28 days. Is there a good attorney who can help us write appeals to the decision to make wyoming wild horses non reproducing herds?
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Hard to believe there is such gross incompetence elected into office! Not to mention the fact that Wallis and Lummis DO NOT represent the interests of the people that voted them in. They represent their own interest in the persuit of the almighty dollar!
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RT your accompanying picture says it all WAAA! WAAA!
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You caught me…I am not trying to insult the innocent baby, but that was the expression that Lummis had as she stormed out, yesterday, and you know that Wallis and Duquette mirrored it to a “T”.
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I wasn’t sure if the picture was supposed to be Lummis, or the traumatized child who thought he would be fed horse meat.
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I can’t believe they don’t get it. Ethically, anway. Since when do you let foxes do hen house house inspections?
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I actually did hear her say she was planning to withdraw her amendment when she had her 5 minutes to speak, but that confused me because I couldn’t understand why. Apparently, it was because she had already realized it had no chance. And then, she was standing behind the “gentleman from Georgia” while he was going on and on about how she should NOT withdraw her amendment and how he was in full support of it, and she was just grinning from ear to ear, like the Cheshire cat! To watch her go from cocky grin to red faced outburst was MOST satisfying. Mr. Moran had apparently not heard her earlier statement to withdraw her amendment, but was still arguing with her on principal, and that’s when she got mad and said, “Then I’m NOT withdrawing, and I want it to go to vote right now!” That’s when Mr. Burton got up and talked her down from the edge of insanity. Then she went ahead and withdrew her amendment. It WAS so amusing!
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Love the CRYBABY pic, RT! It’s perfect!
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Typical brats, if you aren’t going to play it MY way I’ll take my ball and go home. Damn big babys!
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Most entertaining thing I have seen on tv in a long time 🙂
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I watched it, too. Commented at the time. She really has her panties in a WAD. It was the most perfect example of that phrase that I’ve ever seen. Wish I had the still picture of her at that moment to post here.
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I was amazed at the number of amendments offered on this bill. The offering of amendments lasted past 1:00 a.m. and they were not finished. Glad to know it passed.
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