U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., unveiled a bill on Wednesday to permanently end killing horses for human consumption and ensuring horses arent sent to Canada and Mexico slaughterhouses.
Buchanan teamed up with U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta, R-N.H., U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., and U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., to introduce the bill which they dubbed the Safeguard American Food Exports Act (SAFE Act). The congressional representatives noted on Wednesday that selling horsemeat for human consumption is illegal in the U.S. but that law has been renewed on an annual basis since 2007. More than 140,000 American horses were sent to Canadian and Mexican slaughterhouses last year.
The Florida congressman, who is a possible candidate in 2016 for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., explained his support for the bill on Wednesday.
The slaughter of horses for human consumption is an absolute travesty that must be stopped, said Buchanan. This bipartisan measure will help put an end to this barbaric practice once and for all.
Horses sent to slaughter are often subject to appalling, brutal treatment, said Schakowsky. We must fight those practices. The SAFE Act of 2015 will ensure that these majestic animals are treated with the respect they deserve.
Buchanan pointed to a poll taken by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) which found 80 percent of Americans want to ban slaughtering horses for human consumption.
The ASPCA stood behind the bill on Wednesday.
Until the SAFE Act is passed, every horse is just one bad sale away from slaughter, said Nancy Perry, the ASPCAs senior VP of government relations. We thank Rep. Buchanan and the other leaders of the SAFE Act for their efforts to protect not only public health, but also safeguard our nations equines.
Buchanan will be honored by the U.S. Humane Society next week for his work on animal rights issues.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
