Momentum Grows for Bill to Ban Horse Slaughter, Says Vern Buchanan

Momentum is building in Congress for a bill aimed at banning the slaughter of horses for human consumption. This legislation, spearheaded by Sarasota's Vern Buchanan, has recently gained its 150th co-sponsor, New York Republican Dan Donovan.

“The slaughter of horses for human consumption is a barbaric practice that must end,” Buchanan stated. “We need to build on this momentum and get this bill signed into law.”

The SAFE ACT (Safeguard American Food Exports) was introduced in the Senate by Republicans Susan Collins from Maine and Lindsey Graham from South Carolina, alongside Democrats Bob Menendez from New Jersey and Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island.

The SAFE Act has garnered endorsements from the Humane Society of the United States, the Animal Welfare Institute, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

While horse slaughter for human consumption is currently prohibited in the United States, this ban is temporary and subject to annual congressional review. There is no federal law preventing the transport of horses across American borders for slaughter in Canada or Mexico.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, over 100,000 American horses are exported to Canadian and Mexican slaughterhouses each year. These horses are butchered and then shipped overseas for consumption in countries like Japan and Italy. Notably, more than 90 percent of these horses were healthy and in good condition.

The last horse slaughter plant in the U.S. closed in 2007. Since then, Congress has consistently worked to prevent their return by denying funding for necessary slaughterhouse inspections in its annual appropriations budgets.

Buchanan has been recognized for his efforts against animal cruelty, receiving the U.S. Humane Society’s Legislator of the Year award.

Originally posted by Saint Peters Blog