Action Alert – Comments needed to Grijalva article re WH&B in The Hill

Today’s News 

John sent out an article published on The Hill from Rep. Jim Moran. Here’s another awesome article on The Hill from Rep. Raul Grijalva on horse slaughter and our wild ones. He’s calling on Congress to pass federal legislation. I think his comment on ROAM sums up our thoughts over the last several years, “The bill passed the House in 2009 but – we’ve heard this before – the Senate didn’t pick it up. We shouldn’t leave horse slaughter, public or private, in the no man’s land it currently occupies. This is something Congress should act on as soon as possible.”

Please visit the site for the full article and to comment.

By Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) – 06/07/11 07:29 PM ET

Horse and burro protection occupies a very special place in the big idea known as “animal welfare.” Wild horses embody the Western spirit that has animated our national conversation about protecting animals and open spaces. Horses and burros form some of the strongest bonds with humans found anywhere in the animal kingdom.

There are really two issues when it comes to horse slaughter: the private domestic market for horse meat and federal management of wild horses. The former, although it’s been shrinking, is certainly not gone. The latter remains a major issue for lawmakers, federal agencies, activists, and everyone else who cares about how we preserve and protect our wildlife and public land. Both need more congressional attention.

 When it comes to the private market, local officials have long been ahead of federal policy. The last three horse slaughter plants on U.S. soil were closed by state law enforcement in Texas and a 2007 court order in Illinois. California overwhelmingly banned horse slaughter over a decade ago. This is all good news.

Still, a permanent federal ban has never been passed. The House passed the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act in 2006 – and I was proud to vote for it – but the Senate failed to follow through.

That didn’t stop some of us from pushing forward: the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009, for instance, would have mandated a prison term of up to three years for possessing, shipping, transporting, purchasing, selling, delivering or receiving any horse meat for human consumption. That bill never became law, but it kept the conversation focused on setting meaningful standards, where it needs to be.

Despite the domestic market shrinking, eating horse meat remains legal at the federal level. Congress should pass a bill that outlaws horse slaughter once and for all. There’s no real argument against it, unless horse meat is your business……..

Reminder for Anti-Fur Conference – June 25-26, Alexandria, VA. In additional to John Holland and Laura Allen, Marina Mercado from Mexico has been confirmed and will be addressing the horses sent to San Barnabe. There will also be a protest in front of the Mexican Embassy on Monday, June 27. If you are interested in attending the protest, please send an email to: antifursociety@msn.com with Mexican Embassy Protest in the subject line.

For additional information visit – http://www.afsconference.org/

9:00-11:00:   Panel: Horse exploitation: The Great Betrayal (June 26)

                      (1) Horse Slaughter:  Holland

                      (2) The destruction of the mustangs:  Allen

                      (3) Rodeo: Chaifetz;

                      (4) Ban Horse Carriage: Forel;

                      (5) Political Activism for Horses: Allen, Holland, Forel

                      (6) The Horses of San Barnabe: Mercado

                      (7)  Illegal horse slaugher in Florida: Azar