It's hard not to enjoy the complaints of those in Congress who tried to sabotage legislation meant to protect horses from slaughter in America.
While the bill, which emerged amendment-free from committee this week, does not actually ban horse slaughter outright, it does ban shipping, transporting, delivering, receiving, buying, selling or donating horses for slaughter for human consumption. Of course, the italics are mine... These key words make me wonder how much the horse content in various products like pet food are going to go up, despite protestations that H.R. 503 would require $162 million to "care" for an estimated 90,000 "unwanted" horses). The bill also prohibits sending horses from the U.S. to Canada or Mexico to be slaughtered.
What was particularly interesting to read was all the squirming over what certain congressional representatives think this means for animal consumption in the U.S. in the future:
Opponents said the bill would eventually lead to bans on the slaughter of cows, pigs, chickens and other livestock.Well, I somehow doubt it. At least for now, but at least you're thinking about it.
"This bill is part of a larger agenda for the animal rights activists, an agenda against all of agriculture," said Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va.
Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., asked whether because of the bill he as a meat lover will have to become a vegetarian.
Labels: animal law, horse slaughter
