Tune In: House Subcommittee Hearing on Interior Bill

At 5:30 PM EST today, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee will hold a hearing to mark up its Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Interior and Environment Bill. This includes funding for the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM's) Wild Horse and Burro Program. The hearing will be webcast at this link: https://wildhor.se/2jWBaSa.

Late yesterday, the subcommittee released the text of the bill (https://wildhor.se/2KY5Pe9) it will mark up today. It includes prohibitions on the BLM's destruction of healthy horses and burros and their sale for slaughter. While this is good news, we do expect that Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT) will again offer an amendment in full committee to strip these longstanding protections for wild horses from the FY 2019 Appropriations bill. Last year, the House full committee—ignoring the wishes of the overwhelming majority of Americans—voted in favor of Rep. Stewart's slaughter amendment. Fortunately, the Senate rejected the House position and, in March, Congress voted to maintain protections for wild horses against killing and slaughter in the FY 18 Omnibus spending bill.

However, we face the very real danger that Rep. Stewart will again introduce his lethal amendment at the full committee markup, which could take place as early as next week.

So, once again we must remain vigilant. Protecting America's mustangs and burros from slaughter will once again require a strong public outcry. Please watch the hearing this afternoon if you can (https://wildhor.se/2jWBaSa) and stay tuned tomorrow for an important update from us on what you can do to protect our cherished wild horses and burros from those members of Congress who seek their destruction.