Horse Slaughter Ban Proceeds: Clears House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday for House Vote in September

Great news though the House is notoriously big business. And, why wait until September? In the mean time, many horses will be slaughtered. We’ll see what happens.

For a summation of this bill see
http://geari.blogspot.com/2006/07/more-
on-us-horse-slaughter-legislation_26.html

Article:

Horse meat ban proceeds

Measure to bar slaughter moves closer to House vote

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/national/
stories/072706dnnatslaughter.30c677f.html

10:11 PM CDT on Wednesday, July 26, 2006

By TODD J. GILLMAN / The Dallas Morning News

WASHINGTON – A bill that would shut down the U.S. horse meat industry cleared the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday, a milestone en route to a full House vote GOP leaders promised to hold in early September.

Slaughterhouses in Fort Worth, Kaufman and Illinois processed 90,000 horses into meat last year, mostly for customers in France, Japan and Belgium.

Committee Chairman Joe Barton, R-Ennis, said he opposes the bill but agreed to move it forward because most of the members of his panel support the ban.

No committee vote was held, but Mr. Barton's action paves the way for a vote by the full House.

Bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate support a ban on horse slaughter for human consumption. Opponents warn that if owners can't sell horses for slaughter, they won't be able to dispose of unwanted animals.

"We're going to be up to our eyeballs in dead horses," said Rep. John Dingell of Michigan, the top Democrat on Mr. Barton's panel.

The House agriculture committee may try to amend the proposal today.