[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2174]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4818, CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005

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                               speech of

                           HON. ED WHITFIELD

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                      Saturday, November 20, 2004

  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to a 
provision inserted in the FY 2005 Omnibus Appropriations Act. Title 1 
section 142 states ``Any excess animal sold under this provision shall 
no longer be considered to be a wild-free roaming horse or burro for 
purposes of this Act.'' This section completely reverses the goal of 
the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, which was aimed at 
stopping wild horses and burros from being harvested for commercial 
poses without limitation. 
  The Bureau of Land Management, BLM, oversees approximately 261 
million acres. More than 29 million acres of this land is used for wild 
horse and burro grazing. BLM's responsibilities with regard to caring 
for wild horses and burros were created by the Wild Free Roaming Horses 
and Burros Act in 1971. Although the act's primary concern is caring 
for wild horses and burros, it also permits BLM to lease this land for 
several purposes, such as grazing, mining, and parks. The act and 
subsequent regulations require BLM to manage wild horses and burros on 
public lands and protect them from unauthorized capture, branding, 
harassment, death, and ensure their humane care.
  Current law prohibits the sale of wild horses and burros for 
processing into commercial products. Section 142 will undermine these 
efforts by allowing wild horses and burros that are at least 10 years 
old or have been put up for adoption three times to be auctioned. As a 
cosponsor of the American Horse Protection Act, along with 227 other 
Members, I am appalled that wild horses and burros could possibly be 
captured for slaughter.
  Horses that are sent to slaughter are often crammed into double 
decker trailers, where conditions are so bad that many horses arrive at 
the slaughtering facility injured. Moreover, since there are no export 
tariffs on horse meat, no profits from this industry remain in America. 
The profits go directly to Belgium and France, which is where the 
owners of the only slaughter houses in the United States live. More 
importantly, the provision is a devastating blow to the equine 
industry, because they have worked diligently to protect horses from 
slaughter.
  Section 142 was inserted during conference negotiations, leaving many 
members unaware of the new provision and its impact. In addition, no 
stand-alone legislation has been introduced and, to my knowledge, the 
House Resources Committee had not seen this language. Because this 
provision was inserted behind closed doors, no congressional 
authorizing committee had an opportunity to comment on this provision 
and its impact. Additionally, no hearings have been held to get 
feedback from BLM on possible alternatives. In fact, since 1988, every 
Department of Interior Appropriations bill has included language that 
states, ``Appropriations herein made shall not be available for the 
destruction of healthy, unadopted, wild horses and burros in the care 
of the Bureau or its contractor.'' Coincidently, this language was left 
out this year. I believe that if this language was brought before the 
full House for a vote as stand-alone legislation it would fail, because 
clearly the majority of the House has gone on record opposing the 
slaughter of horses.
  Mr. Speaker, it does not speak well of this institution when 
individual members of the House and Senate can change 16 .years of 
policy by sneaking a provision into the Omnibus without disclosure, 
discussion, or public knowledge. Horses are part of our American 
heritage and hold a favored status. They are not food animals in this 
country and, unlike cows, pigs, and chickens, they should not be bred, 
raised, or gathered for slaughter.

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