Since I am anti-slaughter, I feel today that the good guys won. I don't get to feel that feeling much these days.
But I digress...
Today, in a 269 to 158 vote, the House approved the Sweeney/Spratt Amendment to the 2006 House Agricultural Appropriations Bill. It defunds USDA inspections at the three US horse slaughterhouses currently in business and at the border for inspection of slaughter-bound horses. Long story short: it takes the USDA inspectors out of the slaughter houses and the transport trucks that take slaughter bound horses across the borders into Canada and Mexico. It effectively stops horse slaughter for the FY 2006. No USDA Inspectors, no ability to sell the meat overseas or transport live horses across the border for the purposes of slaughter.
During that time the anti-slaughter forces will concentrate on passing the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (HR 503). This bill will outlaw horse slaughter once and for all.
http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/the_hsus_applauds_house_of_representatives
_for_vote_to_ban_horse_slaughter.html
This link will take you to the Humane Society of the United States website where they have posted a press release applauding the actions of the House today.
If you decide to hit the link and read the press release, I hope you will take a moment to also check out the Legislation and Laws section where they list all of the bills in DC and around the country that they support.
They also have an online community sign up box...this is a wonderful feature that allows people who are interested in the humane treatment of animals to hear about important upcoming legislation. HSUS also uses this feature to encourage interested parties to write government officials about animal issues that aren't the subject of legislation, but important nonetheless. It is a good tool to let the average American contact the government on the issue of animal rights. I use this feature all the time, and I think it works...if they think the public is watching, the government tends to be more reactive.