Horse Slaughter Amendment Threatened

The “Horse Slaughter Amendment”, which would end horse slaughter by denying federal funding for regulatory duties associated with horse slaughter during this next fiscal year, is under serious attack. Although it passed by wide majorities in both the House of Representatives and Senate, the amendment may be axed behind closed doors. The Agriculture Appropriations bill to which the amendment was attached is now before the Conference Committee to reconcile any differences between the House and Senate version before going to the President for signature, and it is here that the language could be stripped.

Although the House and Senate passed identical horse slaughter amendments (to stop horse slaughter in the US and prevent the export of horses for slaughter abroad) and shouldn’t be altered or omitted according to Congressional rules, it appears these rules may be ignored and the language may be removed. If this happens, horses will continue to be slaughtered in this country despite overwhelming public and Congressional support to end the practice.

What You Can Do:

If your Representative or Senators are among the select group of conferees that will consider this bill (see below for list), your voice is especially important now. Please contact and urge him/her to “Keep the Horse Slaughter amendment intact.” If your Representative or Senators don’t serve on the Conference Committee, you may still contact the conferees and ask them to “Keep the Horse Slaughter amendment in!”

We have never been this close to ending horse slaughter. Please act now before the will of the American public and the full Congress is subverted. Tens of thousands of horses will be spared from brutal butchery if we can maintain the current amendments. To get the facts on horse slaughter and to see a list of the Conference Committee members, please visit: http://www.saplonline.org/horses.htm.

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Christopher J. Heyde
Policy Analyst
Society for Animal Protective Legislation
(A Division of the Animal Welfare Institute)
PO Box 3719
Washington, DC 20027
www.saplonline.org


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Members of the FY06 Agriculture Appropriations Bill
Conference Committee

Capitol Hill Switchboard: (202) 224-3121

HOUSE AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE

Representative Henry Bonilla, (R-TX) Chairman – (202) 225-4511

Representative Rosa L. DeLauro, (D-CT) Ranking Member – (202) 225-3661

Representative Jerry Lewis, (R-CA) Chairman, Full Committee - (202) 225-2771

Representative David Obey, (D-WI), Ranking Member, Full Committee - (202) 225-3365

Representative Rodney Alexander, (R-LA) – (202) 225-8490

Representative Allen Boyd, (D-FL) – (202) 225-5235

Representative John Doolittle, (R-CA) – (202) 225-6511

Representative Jo Ann Emerson, (R-MO) – (202) 225-4404

Representative Sam Farr, (D-CA) – (202) 225-2861

Representative Virgil Goode, (R-VA) – (202) 225-4711

Representative Jack Kingston, (R-GA) – (202) 225-5831

Representative Tom Latham, (R-IA) – (202) 225-5476

Representative Ray LaHood, (R–IL) Vice Chair– (202) 225-6201

Representative Marcy Kaptur, (D-OH) – (202) 225-4146

Representative Maurice D. Hinchey, (D-NY) – (202) 225-6335



SENATE AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE

Senator Robert Bennett, (R-UT) Chairman – (202) 224-5444

Senator Herb Kohl, (D-WI) Ranking Member – (202) 224-5653

Senator Ted Stevens, (R-AK) - (202) 224-3004

Senator Robert C. Byrd, (D-WV) - (202) 224-3945

Senator Christopher Bond, (R-MO) – (202) 224-5721

Senator Sam Brownback, (R-KS) – (202) 224-6521

Senator Conrad Burns, (R-MT) – (202) 224-2644

Senator Thad Cochran, (R-MS) – (202) 224-5054

Senator Larry Craig, (R-ID) – (202) 224-2752

Senator Byron Dorgan, (D-ND) – (202) 224-2551

Senator Richard Durbin, (D-IL) – (202) 224-2152

Senator Dianne Feinstein, (D-CA) – (202) 224-3841

Senator Tom Harkin, (D-IA) – (202) 224-3254

Senator Tim Johnson, (D-SD) – (202) 224-5842

Senator Mary Landrieu, (D-LA) – (202) 224-5824

Senator Mitch McConnell, (R-KY) – (202) 224-2541

Senator Arlen Specter, (R-PA) – (202) 224-4254