Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
Senate OKs bill that would prevent export of horse meat
Legislation, which is not in final form, would ban meat inspections
By SAMANTHA YOUNG
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON -- The Senate on Tuesday voted to ban slaughtering horses destined for grocery store shelves overseas.
In a 68-29 vote, senators eliminated funding for federal meat inspectors at three U.S. meat packing plants that slaughter an estimated 65,000 horses per year.
"The owners who sell their horses at auction are often unaware that those horses may be on their way to one of three remaining horse slaughterhouses in America," Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., said on the Senate floor.
Ensign's amendment was added to a spending bill for the Department of Agriculture. The House in June included an identical provision in its legislation, and a conference committee will hash out the final bill.
"It will effectively shut down the slaughterhouses in the United States for one year," said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of the Humane Society of the United States. "Without the USDA inspecting the meat and horses for export, this activity cannot take place in the United States."
Texas and Illinois are home to three meat packing plants that slaughter horses. The meat is packaged and sold to Japan, France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Mexico and Canada.
Horse slaughter has drawn increased scrutiny this year after dozens of wild horses were purchased from government holding corrals and sold to the Illinois packing plant.
No senator spoke Tuesday in opposition to the provision although Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, said several senators had concerns with the measure. He did not elaborate.
In the House debate, critics said the shuttering of U.S. plants would do little to stop the exportation of horses to Canada and Mexico. Roughly 35,000 horses are trucked across the borders annually.
Markarian said the provision also makes it illegal to transport horses across the border for slaughter.
Ensign, a trained veterinarian, described the horses as an American icon fit for saving from foreign menus. He said unwanted horses should be sold to new homes or humanely euthanized.
