[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5641]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            HORSE SLAUGHTER

  (Ms. SCHAKOWSKY asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today about a serious issue: 
horse slaughter.
  A recent poll confirms what many of us already know: 80 percent of 
American voters are opposed to slaughtering horses for human 
consumption. Regardless of gender, political affiliation, or whether 
they live in urban or rural areas, Americans oppose this awful 
practice.
  The last U.S. horse slaughterhouses were closed in 2007 but, despite 
public opposition, Congress recently restarted horse meat inspections, 
paving the way for slaughterhouses to reopen. That's why we need to 
pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, which would prohibit 
the sale and transport of horses for slaughter in the United States, as 
well as prohibit their transport across the borders to Canada and 
Mexico. The passage of this critical bipartisan bill would save the 
lives of approximately 100,000 American horses exported for slaughter 
each year.
  Horses have a special place in our Nation's history and folklore, and 
they are not raised for food. This bill would make sure that these 
majestic creatures are treated with the respect and dignity they 
deserve. It should be passed now.

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