Ensign-Byrd Amendment
Last October 26, an amendment to the 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Bill stopping the slaughter of horses in the US and their exportation for the purpose of slaughter for fiscal year 2006 was approved by the Agriculture Appropriations Conference Committee after surviving attempts from pro-slaughter legislators lead by Representative Henry Bonilla (R-TX) to remove it from the final version of the Agriculture Appropriations Bill.

The amendment, introduced in the Senate by Senators John Ensign (R-NV) and Robert Byrd (D-WV) and in the House by Representatives John Sweeney (R-NY), John Spratt (D-SC) and Ed Whitfield (R-KY) will prohibit the USDA from using tax money to inspect horse meat and horses shipped for slaughter abroad at the US border, forcing the only three horse slaughterhouses remaining in the US to shut down and effectively stopping the exportation of American horses for slaughter for next fiscal year.

USDA inspections are mandatory to allow horse meat to be sold and to permit live horses bound for slaughter abroad to cross the U.S. border. Without inspections, the horse slaughter plants cannot sell the meat abroad and killer buyers will not be able to transport horses for slaughter across the border, thus stopping not only the slaughter of American horses but also preventing them from being shipped to be slaughtered in foreign countries.

Since it amends an annual appropriations bill, the Ensign-Byrd Amendment will only stop horse slaughter for fiscal year 2006. It will be necessary to pass H.R. 503 – the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act – and its Senate version S. 1915, two self-standing bills that will ban permanently the slaughter of horses in the US an their exportation for slaughter.

However and in spite of being passed by both the House and the Senate by two land-slide votes and the overwhelming public support for the measure, pro-slaughter lawmakers headed by Representative Henry Bonilla (R-TX) ignoring Congressional rules and in a blatant disregard for the will of Congress and the American people, undermined the amendment by introducing language delaying its implementation for 120 days, during which time the horse slaughter plants will be able to stay open and reducing the overall amendment’s length from one year to eight months, resulting in the slaughter of 25,000 additional horses before the amendment becomes effective.

See the actual amendment as reported by the Conference Committee, Section 794 of House Report 109-255 on H.R. 2744.

View list of Senate's vote results (Ensign-Byrd Amendment).

View list of House's vote results (Sweeney-Spratt Amendment).

How you can help
While the passage of the Ensign-Byrd Amendment is a great victory for the horses, it is just temporary since the amendment will only last until September 30, 2006. In addition, the four-month implementation delay inserted by Congressman Bonilla will result in the unnecessary death of 25,000 additional horses before the amendment becomes effective.

However, two bills introduced in Congress, H.R. 503 – the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA) – and its Senate version S. 1915 could ban permanently the slaughter of horses in the US as well as their exportation of horses for slaughter.

It is extremely important that these bills are enacted as soon as possible in order to put in place a permanent, immediate ban on horse slaughter.

Please, contact your Representative asking him to cosponsor H.R. 503 and your two U.S. Senators urging them to cosponsor S. 1915

In addition, please contact the members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce requesting them to cosponsor H.R. 503 and the members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation asking them to cosponsor S. 1915.

Also, please contact the chairmen of the House and Senate Committees, Representative Joe Barton (R-TX) and Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) requesting them to consider H.R. 503 and S. 1915.

Download phone and fax directory of the members of the 109th Congress.
Download list of members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Download list of members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
Download detailed list of Senators.
Download detailed list of Representatives.

Tell your legislators that an overwhelmingly majority of Americans (over 80% according to polls) are opposed to horse slaughter and that according to the USDA, 92.3% of the horses slaughtered are in good or excellent condition and not old or sick as claims he foreign-owned horse slaughter industry. Let them know that horse slaughter promotes abuse and theft, that after California banned horse slaughter in 1998, horse theft decreased by 34% while abuse didn't increase as a result of the ban and that there was no reported increase in Illinois following closure of the state's only horse slaughter plant in 2002.

To find out who your Senators are, visit Contacting Congress or Society for Animal Protective Legislation (SAPL).

You may also visit the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate website for an official list of the Senators of the 109th Congress.

The best way to contact legislators is by fax, phone and written letters; emails are also a good way although less effective than faxes or written letters.

You can find facts about horse slaughter to use as talking points in support of the amendment on the SAPL and NHPC websites.

It is also very important to get the word out about this legislation. Tell everybody you know about HR 503 and S. 1915 and ask them to contact their lawmaker in support of this vital legislation.

Additional information on the Ensign-Byrd Amendment
SAPL Alert
NHPC News
SAPL AHSPA

Slaughter is not humane euthanasia
View pdf

Background Information on Horse Slaughter
http://www.horse-protection.org
http://www.saplonline.org/horses.htm
http://www.justsaywhoa.org

Join the Yahoo Group
The Against Horse Slaughter Yahoo group is fighting daily to win support for H.R. 503 and S. 1915. Join now!

You can also join us on the Habitat for Horses Members' Against Horse Slaughter forum.