Update from Capitol Hill: The Good, the Bad, and What's Next for Wild Horses

July 21, 2017

It has been an eventful week on Capitol Hill for horse protection issues. The outcome is clear:America's horses are not yet safe from slaughter.

The Good News

Yesterday, theSenateAppropriations Committee approved an amendment to theAgriculture Appropriations billthat would keep horse slaughter plants closed in the U.S. This amendment was a bipartisan effort sponsored by Senators Tom Udall (D-NM), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Jack Reed (D-RI).

However, last week the House Appropriations Committee approvedits versionof the Agriculture Appropriations Billwithoutthe anti-horse slaughter provision. The bipartisan anti-slaughter amendment, offered by Reps. Charlie Dent (R-PA) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), was defeated by two votes.

What's Next

The differences between the two bills will be negotiated in a conference committee or during negotiations for an Omnibus spending bill for Fiscal Year 2018.Legislationmust be passed by September 30 to keep the government running in the new Fiscal Year, which begins on October 1.

The Bad News

On Tuesday, the House Appropriations Committee passed theInterior Appropriations billwith the “Stewart Amendment,” which authorizes the Bureau of Land Management to destroy healthy wild horses and burros. Rep. Stewart (R-UT) deceptively portrayed his amendment as limited to humane euthanasia, but, in reality, it is a slaughter amendment that would give theBLMlicense to kill wild horses and burros on a massive scale. The only restriction on this mass killing is that it cannot be done forcommercialpurposes, including for human consumption. However, killing healthy mustangs and burros for non-commercial purposes would be perfectly legal. That's not euthanasia; that's mass slaughter.

What's Next

TheSenateis expected to take up this bill in early September. Based on yesterday’s vote regarding domestic horse slaughter, theSenateis much more supportive than the House when it comes to protecting America’s horses, so the chances of maintaining the ban on killing wild horses and burros are better in that chamber.

Any differences between the House andSenateInterior Appropriations bills will be worked out in a conference committee or during negotiations for an Omnibus spending bill for Fiscal Year 2018.Legislationmust be passed by September 30 to keep the government running in the new Fiscal Year, which begins on October 1.

What You Can Do

Keep the pressure on representatives inCongresstomaintainthe ban on destroying healthy wild horses and burros and selling them for slaughter.Take Action Here.

Email us if you want to get more involved in your state and Congressional district!