Congress Blocks Horse Processing in the US
Northern Ag Network posted on January 17, 2014 10:51 :: 128 Views
The following is portion of an article from NPR:
by Allison Aubrey
When a federal ban on slaughtering horses to produce horse meat was lifted several years back, ranchers including Rick De Los Santos, a New Mexico rancher and owner of Valley Meat Co., stepped up to start operations with an aim to export the meat.
But, as we've reported, his plans for a horse meat slaughterhouse have hit major roadblocks. There have been lawsuits to stop him and others trying to get into the business. And plenty of stories about the ick factor evoked by the image of butchering a beautiful thoroughbred.
Now, given a bit of language written into the omnibus spending bill that was approved by the Senate on Thursday night, it's seeming more certain that there will be no horse slaughtering on U.S. soil in the foreseeable future. The House already approved the spending measure, which now heads to President Obama for his signature.
The provision bans the funding of U.S. Department of Agriculture inspections at horse slaughter plants. And without inspections, slaughterhouses can't be in business. Game over.
"Americans do not want to see scarce tax dollars used to oversee an inhumane, disreputable horse slaughter industry," Wayne Pacelle of the Humane Society argues in a press release. He has been lobbying for a ban on funding for horse slaughter inspections.
"We don't have dog and cat slaughter plants in the U.S. catering to small markets overseas, and we shouldn't have horse slaughter operations for that purpose, either," Pacelle writes.
Source: NPR
Posted by Haylie Shipp
http://www.northernag.net/AGNews/tabid/171/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8850/Congress-Blocks-Horse-Processing-in-the-US.aspx
For retiring Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), it's a win he helped usher through.
"These incredible companion animals don't deserve to be callously slaughtered for human consumption," his office wrote in an email to The Salt. "We fought hard for the past three years to reinstate this ban to prevent slaughter facilities from reopening on American soil."
The flip side of the argument is that horse slaughter is a practical way to handle the problem of abandoned horses. Horses can be very expensive to maintain, and when owners can't afford them, it's not unheard of for them to be sent to factories in Mexico and Canada.
That's the argument put forth by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), who tried but failed to strike the ban on funding inspections from the spending bill.
"Without these facilities, aging horses are often neglected or forced to endure cruel conditions as they are transported to processing facilities across the border," Inhofe wrote in a release. "This provision is counterproductive to what animal rights activists are hoping to achieve."
And Inhofe is not giving up yet.
Before Thursday night's Senate vote, Inhofe said he and Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OKla.) plan to introduce separate legislation that would lift the ban on funding for horse slaughterhouse inspections.
Mike said:You forgot the rest, you slimy S.O.B.
I guess you were too hasty in trashing Republicans/Conservatives to get it all in your copy & paste? :roll:
For retiring Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), it's a win he helped usher through.
"These incredible companion animals don't deserve to be callously slaughtered for human consumption," his office wrote in an email to The Salt. "We fought hard for the past three years to reinstate this ban to prevent slaughter facilities from reopening on American soil."
The flip side of the argument is that horse slaughter is a practical way to handle the problem of abandoned horses. Horses can be very expensive to maintain, and when owners can't afford them, it's not unheard of for them to be sent to factories in Mexico and Canada.
That's the argument put forth by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), who tried but failed to strike the ban on funding inspections from the spending bill.
"Without these facilities, aging horses are often neglected or forced to endure cruel conditions as they are transported to processing facilities across the border," Inhofe wrote in a release. "This provision is counterproductive to what animal rights activists are hoping to achieve."
And Inhofe is not giving up yet.
Before Thursday night's Senate vote, Inhofe said he and Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OKla.) plan to introduce separate legislation that would lift the ban on funding for horse slaughterhouse inspections.
My father fought them many long years ago in Texas and I have fought them all my life because I believe them to threaten the peace of every community where they exist. I shall continue to fight them because I know their loyalty is not to the United States of America but instead to a hooded society of bigots.
President Lyndon Baines Johnson
3/26/65
"I'll have those niggahs [Negroes] voting Democratic for the next 200 years. [Touting his underlying intentions for the "Great Society" programs, LBJ confided with two like-minded governors on Air Force One]"
― Lyndon B. Johnson
Mike said:Here's another LBJ quote you may like:
"I'll have those n-word [Negroes] voting Democratic for the next 200 years. [Touting his underlying intentions for the "Great Society" programs, LBJ confided with two like-minded governors on Air Force One]"
― Lyndon B. Johnson
Johnson was a dirty fighter. Any campaign with him in it would involve a lot of innuendo and lies. Johnson was a wheeler-dealer. Neither he nor anyone else could change that. That's what he was. And Johnson was a treacherous boot. He'd slap you on the back today and stab you in the back tomorrow. Moreover, LBJ was dull. He was a lousy public speaker. The man didn't believe half of what he said. He was a hypocrite, and it came through in the hollowness of his speech. LBJ made me sick.
Barry M. Goldwater, Goldwater (Doubleday, 1988) p. 151
Mike said:My personal favorite about LBJ:
Johnson was a dirty fighter. Any campaign with him in it would involve a lot of innuendo and lies. Johnson was a wheeler-dealer. Neither he nor anyone else could change that. That's what he was. And Johnson was a treacherous boot. He'd slap you on the back today and stab you in the back tomorrow. Moreover, LBJ was dull. He was a lousy public speaker. The man didn't believe half of what he said. He was a hypocrite, and it came through in the hollowness of his speech. LBJ made me sick.
Barry M. Goldwater, Goldwater (Doubleday, 1988) p. 151
mrj said:I think HSUS and their clones...uh, donors who believe 'pets' should have human rights, had a HUGE part in stopping horse slaughter.
AND, some cattle producers have even had a hand in that, maybe somewhat indirectly, when they partnered with HSUS on another issue a while back.
They all prefer to ignore the fact that horses are livestock, and as such can suffer far worse a fate than being processed for food, whether for zoo animal, cats and dogs, or humans.
Who are we to say what others may or may not eat? Some societies, even people in the USA, still eat cats and dogs and other animals most of us would not eat, but I'm not about to demand they stop, just as I believe HSUS and vegan animal worshippers cannot tell others which animals they may not eat.
mrj
Oldtimer said:And if you think calling me names hurts me- believe me you are wrong... Your hatred for me and name calling is like a huge badge of honor to me--]