House Passes Ban on USDA Spending for Slaughter Horse Process
The American Horse Council
reports that on June 8, the House of Representatives approved an amendment to
the U.S. Department of Agriculture Fiscal Year 2006 appropriations bill that
would cut-off federal funds for USDA inspection of horses for slaughter or horsemeat.
Under the Federal Meat Inspection
Act and the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, all horses
slaughtered must be inspected by USDA personnel. The expectation is that without such USDA
inspection buyers of horsemeat will no longer be interested in the meat as food
and the process will effectively be stopped.
The amendment was supported by
Congressmen John Sweeney (R-NY), Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Jack Spratt (D-SC), Nick
Rahall II (D-WV) and Jim Moran (D-VA), who each spoke in support. Speaking in opposition to the amendment were
Congressmen Henry Bonilla (R-TX), Bob Goodelatte (R-VA) and Steve King (R-IA). The amendment passed 269 to 158.
Since the provision is part of an
appropriations bill, the suspension of funding extends for only one Fiscal
Year, from
The Senate must still act on its
version of the FY 2006 Agriculture Appropriations bill. There is no provision similar to the Sweeney
amendment in the Senate package now.
In February, Congressman John
Sweeney (R-NY) introduced broader federal legislation to prohibit the slaughter
of horses for human consumption. That bill
(H.R. 503) was also sponsored by Congressmen Spratt and Whitfield. It presently has over 100 co-sponsors.
This bill would prohibit the purchase,
sale, shipping or receiving of horses for slaughter for human consumption. Violations of the Act would subject a person
to penalties of up to $3,000 and/or one year in jail for the first offense and
up to $5,000 and/or two years in jail for a second offense. An offender may also be subject to civil
penalties of $2,000 for each violation. The
bill authorizes $5 million for enforcement.
The bill has been referred to the
House Energy and Commerce Committee.
There have been no hearings on this legislation.