Post by diamondindykin on Sept 7, 2006 15:52:49 GMT -5
Press Release Source: T. Boone Pickens
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act Passes U.S. House of
Representatives
Thursday September 7, 3:18 pm ET
T. Boone Pickens Applauds U.S. Reps for Protecting Horses, Urges Senate
to do the Same
DALLAS, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The following was released today by T.
Boone Pickens:
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503), a bipartisan
bill to end the slaughter of horses for human consumption, has just
passed the U.S. House of Representatives with a final vote of 263 to
146. It now moves on to the Senate, where Senator and veterinarian John
Ensign (R-NV) and Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) have reintroduced an
identical measure (S. 1915).
"I applaud every U.S. Representative who voted in favor of H.R. 503.
Thank you for standing up for America, for our ideals, and for our
horses," said T. Boone Pickens, legendary oilman and philanthropist, who
along with his wife, Madeleine, is an outspoken opponent of horse
slaughter. "I urge the Senate to pass the Senate version of this bill
quickly, and with no amendments."
Life-long animal lovers, T. Boone and Madeleine Pickens have joined
forces with key horse organizations, including The National Horse
Protection Coalition, in a campaign to support The American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act. Together, they have run a series of full-page
ads in newspapers across the country, asking the public to contact their
lawmaker and urge them to vote "Yes" on H.R. 503. The Pickens plan on
continuing the campaign through the Senate vote.
"We are well on our way towards ending this despicable practice," said
Pickens. "But the fight is not over. We will continue our efforts
through the Senate vote, until every American horse is safe from the
threat of being served as 'Sunday's Special' in a French restaurant."
A recent national poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies shows that
nearly 70% of Americans strongly oppose killing horses for people to
eat. Republican and Democrat, young and old, east coast to west coast,
poll findings show that Americans overwhelmingly oppose horse slaughter.
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act has the support of 202 co-
sponsors and is championed by more than 500 organizations, including
such industry groups as the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and
Churchill Downs.
Background
Although the slaughter of horses for human consumption is illegal in
many states, foreign-owned companies who process horsemeat here are
using federal loopholes to continue killing horses, sending 39.5 million
pounds of horsemeat to France, Belgium and Japan in 2005.
Every day three horse slaughterhouses in the U.S., - Dallas Crown in
Kaufman, Texas, Beltex Corporation in Fort Worth, Texas and Cavel
International in DeKalb, Illinois, ship out thousands of pounds of fresh
horsemeat abroad. Bragging, "from the stable to table in four days,"
these foreign-owned plants slaughtered nearly 100,000 American horses
last year alone.
The process begins when owners across the country take their horses to a
legitimate sale, never suspecting that within days their horse could end
up on a plate in a high-end restaurant overseas. Three years ago, 1986
Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand ended up in a slaughterhouse in Japan.
And because of the quick kill and export, these slaughter plants have
become a convenient dumping ground for stolen horses. In fact, horse
theft in California dropped 34 percent after that state instituted a ban
on horse slaughter in 1998.
Horse slaughterhouses receive USDA oversight that costs taxpayers
millions of dollars - all for horsemeat that is sold and consumed as a
delicacy in high-dollar markets and restaurants in France, Italy and
Japan. Moreover, these slaughterhouses use accounting loopholes to pay
little or no taxes - shipping 100% of the horsemeat and the profits abroad.
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, a bill to end the slaughter
of horses for human consumption in the United States and the export of
live horses for the same purpose, was reintroduced in the House of
Representatives by Congressional Horse Caucus Co-Chair John Sweeney
(R-NY), Representative John Spratt (D-SC), Representative Ed Whitfield
(R-KY) and Representative Nick Rahall (D-WV).
Source: T. Boone Pickens
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act Passes U.S. House of
Representatives
Thursday September 7, 3:18 pm ET
T. Boone Pickens Applauds U.S. Reps for Protecting Horses, Urges Senate
to do the Same
DALLAS, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The following was released today by T.
Boone Pickens:
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503), a bipartisan
bill to end the slaughter of horses for human consumption, has just
passed the U.S. House of Representatives with a final vote of 263 to
146. It now moves on to the Senate, where Senator and veterinarian John
Ensign (R-NV) and Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) have reintroduced an
identical measure (S. 1915).
"I applaud every U.S. Representative who voted in favor of H.R. 503.
Thank you for standing up for America, for our ideals, and for our
horses," said T. Boone Pickens, legendary oilman and philanthropist, who
along with his wife, Madeleine, is an outspoken opponent of horse
slaughter. "I urge the Senate to pass the Senate version of this bill
quickly, and with no amendments."
Life-long animal lovers, T. Boone and Madeleine Pickens have joined
forces with key horse organizations, including The National Horse
Protection Coalition, in a campaign to support The American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act. Together, they have run a series of full-page
ads in newspapers across the country, asking the public to contact their
lawmaker and urge them to vote "Yes" on H.R. 503. The Pickens plan on
continuing the campaign through the Senate vote.
"We are well on our way towards ending this despicable practice," said
Pickens. "But the fight is not over. We will continue our efforts
through the Senate vote, until every American horse is safe from the
threat of being served as 'Sunday's Special' in a French restaurant."
A recent national poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies shows that
nearly 70% of Americans strongly oppose killing horses for people to
eat. Republican and Democrat, young and old, east coast to west coast,
poll findings show that Americans overwhelmingly oppose horse slaughter.
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act has the support of 202 co-
sponsors and is championed by more than 500 organizations, including
such industry groups as the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and
Churchill Downs.
Background
Although the slaughter of horses for human consumption is illegal in
many states, foreign-owned companies who process horsemeat here are
using federal loopholes to continue killing horses, sending 39.5 million
pounds of horsemeat to France, Belgium and Japan in 2005.
Every day three horse slaughterhouses in the U.S., - Dallas Crown in
Kaufman, Texas, Beltex Corporation in Fort Worth, Texas and Cavel
International in DeKalb, Illinois, ship out thousands of pounds of fresh
horsemeat abroad. Bragging, "from the stable to table in four days,"
these foreign-owned plants slaughtered nearly 100,000 American horses
last year alone.
The process begins when owners across the country take their horses to a
legitimate sale, never suspecting that within days their horse could end
up on a plate in a high-end restaurant overseas. Three years ago, 1986
Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand ended up in a slaughterhouse in Japan.
And because of the quick kill and export, these slaughter plants have
become a convenient dumping ground for stolen horses. In fact, horse
theft in California dropped 34 percent after that state instituted a ban
on horse slaughter in 1998.
Horse slaughterhouses receive USDA oversight that costs taxpayers
millions of dollars - all for horsemeat that is sold and consumed as a
delicacy in high-dollar markets and restaurants in France, Italy and
Japan. Moreover, these slaughterhouses use accounting loopholes to pay
little or no taxes - shipping 100% of the horsemeat and the profits abroad.
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, a bill to end the slaughter
of horses for human consumption in the United States and the export of
live horses for the same purpose, was reintroduced in the House of
Representatives by Congressional Horse Caucus Co-Chair John Sweeney
(R-NY), Representative John Spratt (D-SC), Representative Ed Whitfield
(R-KY) and Representative Nick Rahall (D-WV).
Source: T. Boone Pickens