Source: By Chris Good of ABC News
“Horses sent to slaughter are often subject to appalling, brutal treatment,”
A trio of U.S. lawmakers is saying “no” to horse meat.
The U.S. is set to begin slaughtering horses again for the first time in six years, and recent news of Ikea sausages and British Taco Bell beef containing small amounts of horse has raised horse-meat alarm bells among the meat-consuming public.
Congress originally banned horse slaughter in 2006 by defunding USDA’s horse-meat inspectors. But after the ban lapsed in 2011, a lawsuit and industry pressure has forced USDA to start inspecting again, and a company says it expects to open the first slaughterhouse in Roswell, N.M., within the next month and a half.
“These companies must still complete necessary technical requirements and FSIS [the Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service] must still complete its inspector training, but at that point, the Department will legally have no choice but to go forward with inspections, which is why we urge Congress to reinstate the ban,” a USDA spokesperson told ABC News.
Enter Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Reps. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.
The three will introduce a bill on Wednesday that would put a stop to the pending horse slaughter.
The Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, as the House version is dubbed, would not only ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the U.S. but would also prohibit shipping horses outside the U.S. for food slaughter. Unlike the appropriations rider that had prevented horse slaughter until now, the statutory ban would not expire.
The Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will hold a press conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday with the three lawmakers, the two groups announced on Tuesday…(CONTINUED)
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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Reblogged this on Serenity's Musings.
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It is so wrong for anyone to want to kill and eat horses. What has this world come to ?
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Let any form of slaughter horse behavior undercut disappear, hope is not just a beautiful fantasy.
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Good luck to Senator Mary Landrieu, Representative Jan Schakowsky and Representative Patrick Meeham in getting this bill passed both houses. I hope that President Obama realizes that the Wild Horses and Burros are going to slaughter. That most Americans are against horse slaughter no matter where it takes place. These are the facts.
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This ray of hope is very welcome. The horsemeat industry is a horrible testament to man’s greed and lust for money. It brings the same corruption as drugs.If allowed to open, no horse in America will be safe.
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God, please help us with this issue..As a supporter of President Obama, I am sickened to death that he has lead the way for the opening of a horse slaughter house. He is not the person that I once knew as a fighter for the under dog and supporter of humane animal rights. Again, is it the power or is the power with the money that sometimes corrupts good people. I just sent another email to him today and talked with my legislators office yesterday. Jan is a fighter and I will support all of them in
any way I can. Who will win here? I can’t believe that this will continue with all the stories circulating in the news. It sounds to me like we need a MASSIVE PROTEST in Washington, DC. There are certain constituencies in Illinois that pack the buses and drive all night to support their positions and flood the halls of those on the Hill. We must not disappoint our children and the horses we love by allowing this to happen…It is unfathomable and sickening!
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NO, President Obama did NOT lead the way to opening a horse slaughter house! He signed a budget that had to be signed to avoid a complete shut-down of the Government. He probably didn’t even know – many didn’t – that a late night, behind-closed-doors meeting of a sub-sub-Conference Committee composed of four Congressmen, one of whom voted no, deftly stripped out the defunding language. THREE Congressmen did this – had nothing to do with Obama. Whether he knew about it or not, he still had to sign the Budget because time had run out.
At present, President Obama is pressuring Congress to BAN horse slaughter.
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Humane groups have stepped up. Congress people have cosponsored. We got to step up also and let them know that America doesn’t want or need horses slaughtered!
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It is up to us now. I have called both my senators and my represwntative and asked that they cosponsor these bills. ( SAFE Act (S. 541/H.R. 1094). I asked they urge them through commitee and back the floor for vote and passage to President Obama for signature.
Pres Obama promised to sign a ban on horse slaughter. PLEASE do your part now and enact your voice through your DC reps. And
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He needs to be held to this, Janet. This is so overdue.
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He absolutely does. We’ve tried reaching him through numerous timely White House petitions, Care.com petitions etc. He doesn’t hear us apparently. These bills are the only way we can get his attention – and we absolutely HAVE to push push push until those bills are on his desk. The House bill is gathering signatures quickly.
People have got to call their Reps and ask them to support either the House version or the Senate version. Keep calling until they sign. If the bills go to Committee, we have to call and urge the bill pass review and come back for voting – only then will the bill go to President Obama. We HAVE to get the bills to him.
If anyone does not understand the process, ask around and dedicate yourself to following the process until Obama signs. Then and only then will the equines be protected.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
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dont dont dont dont
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Praying that President OBama bans horse slaughter soon. Horse slaughter is just WRONG!
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I call and send faxes and e-mail everyday and every time I see him on Facebook I put something like— When are you going to ban horse slaughter like you promised! Don’t get any response but maybe I will I am hoping:)
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Eating that much meat is not healthy- we dont have shortage of meat in this country! OK..when cows or pigs are getting slaughtered, what do they feel? FEAR. what does it do? It creates stress and a huge amount of adrenaline gets released in their blood stream. Where does it go? into their MEAT! what does adrenaline do? it ages and provokes stress! what does stress do?It creates physical illness. No wonder 99% of people are on pills or anti depressants.. All in moderation! All should be organic were animals are raised in a stress free enviroment and get put down with some ethics! Think about it..
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Please do not open a horse slaughterhouse in NM. It is ridiculous in this day and age that this type of cruelty would exist. There are animals that are used for human consumption that are safe to eat and are humane to the animals. Thank you.
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Horse, donkey and mule slaughter needs to Stop! 80% of Americans do not want to eat an equine. For sure when we order a hamburger we expect to get 100% beef not equine. I am no longer eating at fast food chains as the EU food chain is in crisis. Thank you for all you do on this blog!
Melody
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I cannot believe we as a nation are so I humane as to put up with the Cruelity and suffering done to horses. What is wrong with us?
These people that do this will burn in hell.
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