[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 15 (Friday, February 15, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E178]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                AMERICAN HORSE SLAUGHTER PREVENTION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 14, 2002

  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, today I join my colleagues, Mr. Gilman, 
Mr. Chris Smith, Mr. Jones, Mr. Pallone, and Mr. Lantos to introduce 
the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. This bill will prevent the 
cruel and senseless slaughter of American horses simply to satisfy the 
culinary desires of consumers in Canada, Europe, Japan, and elsewhere. 
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 55,776 horses were 
slaughtered in the United States last year for their meat, which was 
then sent overseas for human consumption. Thousands more were shipped 
live across the boarders to Canada and Mexico for slaughter there.
  The American public is largely unaware that our horses are 
slaughtered for human consumption, and the three foreign-owned 
slaughterhouses operating on U.S. soil would like to keep it that way. 
As Canadian slaughterhouse operator Claude Bouvry said, ``People in the 
horse-meat industry don't like talking about slaughtering horses for 
food because of the horse's almost mythical place in Western culture.''
  Horses have played an important role in American history, and 
continue to do so through their use in agriculture, transportation, law 
enforcement, military service and as companion animals. American 
culture is peppered with famous equines, including Paul Revere's Brown 
Beauty, General Robert E. Lee's Traveler, and General George Armstrong 
Custer's horse, Comanche--the sole surviving member of Custer's 7th 
Calvary at Little Big Horn. Other cultural icons of the equine 
persuasion include the Pony Express, the Lone Ranger's faithful mount 
Silver, Roy Rogers' Trigger, famed Triple Crown winners Citation and 
Secretariat, Flicka of My Friend Flicka and Mr. Ed, to name a few.
  Pet horses, workhorses, thoroughbreds, Premarine foals (who are a 
byproduct of the female hormone replacement drug industry), old and 
unwanted horses, horses purchased under false pretences and federally 
protected wild horses go to slaughter. Most arrive at the 
slaughterhouse via livestock auctions where, often unknown to the 
seller, they are bought by middlemen working for the slaughter plants.
  These so-called middlemen better known as ``killer buyers'' travel 
from one auction to the next collecting young, old, sick and healthy 
animals until their trucks are full. Some are shipped for more than 24 
hours at a time without food, water or rest. Increasingly, stolen 
horses are included on the killer-buyers' trucks. As the article Horse 
Theft: A Victim's Story so aptly puts it ``Rustling horses is quick, 
profitable and dirty work. Most horse thieves swiftly unload their 
stolen animals at auction, where most of the creatures end up at 
slaughter.''
  While the transport of horses to slaughter is itself horrific, 
callous handling at the slaughterhouse often results in additional 
suffering. Improper use of stunning equipment, designed to render the 
animal unconscious, means that horses sometimes endure repeated blows 
to the head, and remain conscious through the last stages of slaughter, 
including throat slitting.
  There are human health reasons to be concerned about horse slaughter, 
too. Because they are not raised for food or fiber, the flesh of many 
horses going to slaughter is likely to be contaminated with medications 
and other substances unfit for human consumption.
  Americans do not eat horses. We do not raise them for food. The vast 
majority of Americans, when told that our horses are being slaughtered 
for dinner in Europe, are horrified. In fact, a recent survey indicated 
that the American public would overwhelmingly support a ban on the 
slaughter of horses for human consumption.
  The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act is a strong bill, which 
will end the slaughter of our horses for human consumption for good, 
rather than simply sending the practice over the border. This bill has 
the support of the American public, the animal protection community, 
horse owners and prominent members of the horse industry. Mr. Speaker, 
as we enter the Year of the Horse I urge my colleagues to join me in 
supporting this important and long-overdue legislation.

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