This report was written by Willis Lamm, LRTC Wild Horse Mentors, and AOWHA web master.
June 9, 2005

Here's where we stand with respect to horse protection legislation.

HR 297 and HR 576 have been getting nowhere in their respective committees. Thus the authors of these bills decided to try to attach amendments to appropriations bills to accomplish some of their goals.

Appropriations bills are only good for one year and amendments to these bills can only set requirements on how the money in these bills may be spent.

Congressmen Rahall and Whitfield submitted an amendment to the Interior Appropriations Bill that would prohibit spending of Federal money on the sale and slaughter of protected wild horses. This provision would only be in effect for the fiscal year 2005-06 and we're not sure of the total impact, but it would definitely be a step in the right direction. It passed in the house by a margin of 90 votes. It still has to pass the Senate where Conrad Burns has promised to "throw it out."

(More details on the Rahall / Whitfield Amendment can be viewed here.)

Congressmen Sweeney and Spratt submitted an amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations Bill that would prohibit spending Federal money on inspectors at horse slaughter plants. Without such inspections the animals could not be slaughtered for human consumption. This provision would only be in effect for the fiscal year 2005-06 and it wouldn't prevent horses from being shipped to Canada or Mexico, but it, too, is an important step in the right direction. It still has to pass the Senate and be signed into law by the President.

(More details on the Sweeney / Spratt Amendment can be viewed here.)

In the meanwhile our horse friendly legislators are still trying to advance more permanent protections for wild horses and horses in general.

In regard to what citizens can do, we need to contact our respective state senators and urge them to support the horse protection language in the Interior and Agriculture Appropriations Bills. More specific instructions will appear on the AOWHA site as these battles start to take shape.

Onward to the Senate...