Letter to the Hon. Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House and the Hon. Rodney Frelinghuysen, Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations - Buchanan Leads Charge to Protect American Horses

Letter

Dear Speaker Ryan and Chairman Frelinghuysen,

As negotiations for final appropriations legislation begin, we write in strong support of Section 758 of the Fiscal Year 2018 Agriculture Appropriations Bill (S. 1603) passed with bipartisan support in the Senate Appropriations Committee. We urge that this language be included in the final agriculture appropriations bill.

As you know, this provision will prevent the reopening of horse slaughter facilities in the United States by prohibiting federal funding for health and safety inspections, which are required by law at all meat processing plants.

The U.S. Congress has adopted this provision nearly every year since 2005, ensuring that the horse slaughter industry does not return to American soil. Due to this strict funding prohibition, no slaughterhouses have operated in the United States since 2007. In fact, Congress just renewed this in May when it finalized the FY 2017 government funding bill.

There is no market for horsemeat in America - it is the product of an inhumane business which 80% of Americans oppose. Communities that have lived with this industry are its strongest opponents; the two states in which the last three horse slaughterhouses operated have enacted laws banning the industry from returning. Those foreign-owned operations regularly received citations for polluting surrounding groundwater and air, strained the budgets of their host cities, and created a nuisance for nearby residents. American taxpayers should not have to support an industry that they overwhelmingly oppose, and which primarily benefits foreign companies and foreign markets.

Furthermore, meat from American horses presents significant risks to public health. Horses are routinely given a range of drugs and chemicals banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use on animals meant for human consumption. In 2015, the European Union implemented a ban on horsemeat imports from Mexico after EU inspectors consistently found drug residues in the product. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now experiencing a severe shortage of veterinarians to inspect commercial slaughter facilities. Activating new facilities to slaughter horsemeat for export would further strain the inspection system, threatening the safety of the food that Americans do consume, and creating a serious risk of horsemeat comingling with other commercial meat products.

Congress is asked to make tough decisions about providing resources for important programs. Horse slaughter threatens public health, is strongly opposed by the vast majority of Americans, has no American market, and benefits foreign interests. This is not a responsible use of precious tax dollars.

Our American values support the protection of these animals; our federal policies should continue to reflect that. We respectfully request that you continue current law and include Section 758 of S. 1603 in the final agriculture appropriations bill.

Sincerely,