Aug 3, 2007 11:42 am US/Central
House Votes To Stop Spending On Horse Slaughter
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) ―
The U.S. House voted once more to stop spending money on inspections of horse slaughter plants.
The measure, approved late Thursday, was part of a $91 billion spending bill for farm subsidies and nutrition programs. The House approved the overall spending bill 237-18 with 165 mostly Republican lawmakers not voting. President Bush has promised to veto the bill because of its cost.
Two horse slaughter plants that had been operating in Texas were shut down after the owners lost court fights over the past year. A third in DeKalb, Ill., continues to operate while the owner challenges a state law banning the slaughter of horses for human consumption.
Animal protection groups have been trying for years to get Congress to pass legislation prohibiting the slaughter of horses for human consumption and won overwhelming votes. But the bills either stalled or were thwarted by legislative or bureaucratic maneuvers.
Congress voted two years ago to strip money from the Agriculture Department budget for inspections, and that bill was signed by the president. But the USDA then offered inspections on a fee-for-service basis, allowing the horse slaughter plants to continue to operate. A dispute over the inspections for a fee continues in court.
Texas has had a law for decades preventing the slaughter of horses for human consumption. The Texas plants lost efforts to overturn that law or prevent the state from applying it to them. Illinois recently passed a state law prohibiting killing horses so people could eat their meat, along with the import, export or possession of horse meat designated for human consumption.
Animal protection groups also are hoping the measure will prevent the export of U.S. horses to Mexico or Canada for slaughter there, but also tweaked the measure so the movement of horses for races, shows or other such purposes wouldn't be effected.
The groups also are working for approval of a direct ban on horse slaughter.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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