[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 27, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E216]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      INTRODUCTION OF THE HORSE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY ACT OF 2019

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 27, 2019

  Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Horse 
Transportation Safety Act, a bill I introduced earlier today along with 
Representatives Peter King from New York, Dina Titus from Nevada and 
Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania, to ensure the humane and safe 
transportation of horses.
  The Horse Transportation Safety Act seeks to end the exploitation of 
a regulatory loophole designed to ban the transport of horses in 
double-deck trailers. This loophole gives drivers an incentive to 
inhumanely transport horses to assembly points then reload them into 
single level trailers just outside their final destination.
  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ``Double-deck 
trailers do not provide adequate headroom for equines, with the 
possible exception of foals and yearlings. We do not believe that 
trailers that have two or more permanent levels that are not 
collapsible can be adequately altered to accommodate adult equines, 
especially tall equines.''
  This practice is not only dangerous and inhumane to the horses, but 
to the traveling public, as well. We have witnessed the dangerous 
nature of these double decker trailers in several horrific accidents. 
In October of 2007, fifteen horses died when a double deck trailer 
carrying 59 Belgian draft horses overturned on Route 41 in Illinois. 
Unfortunately, we know that accidents like this are not an uncommon 
occurrence.
  The legislation is strongly supported by agricultural interests and 
animal protection groups including the Humane Society of the United 
States, the Animal Welfare Institute, the National Black Farmers 
Association, and Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation.
  Moreover, in 2010 the Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure 
unanimously adopted this bipartisan legislation.
  This is common sense legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support 
the swift passage of the Horse Transportation Safety Act. I also want 
to express my gratitude for the many years of hard work on this issue 
by our esteemed colleague, the late Representative Walter Jones from 
North Carolina.

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