Breaking news on Horse Slaughter in the US

The 2013 appropriations bill (HR933), now passed by Congress and signed by the President does NOT stop funding of USDA inspections in horse slaughter plants.

What you can do: 
Contact your U.S. senators and representatives in Washington, D.C., today to ask them to cosponsor the SAFE Act. The Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act is pending bill that if passed would ban horse slaughter in the U.S. as well as shipping horses to other countries to be slaughtered for human consumption. This bipartisan legislation, if passed will protect people and horses and would end the possibility of U.S. horse slaughter once and for all.


About HR933
On March 21, 2013 Congress passed HR 933, the Full Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013, which provides funding for the USDA at fiscal 2012 levels through Sept 30, 2013, and does not contain the critical defunding language re horse slaughter inspections. President Obama subsequently signed the bill into law on March 26th.


The bill sat idle through 2012 and in January 2013 the House simply carried over the existing language - therefore the 2013 bill does NOT include the defunding clause. This bill was passed by the Senate on Mar 21, 2013, presented to President Obama on March 22, 2013, and signed by President Obama on March 26, 2013.


The former ban on the spending of taxpayer dollars for USDA inspections of horse slaughter, had helped to keep foreign special interests from slaughtering our horses inside the U.S. The  inclusion of the defunding language in the appropriations bill was however quietly stripped in Nov 2011, by Senators Blunt, Kohl and Congressman Kingston, leaving America's horses virtually unprotected.

HR933 is Cited as the 'Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013

3/21/2013  Passed Both House and Senate on

3/26/2013  Signed by President.

3/26/2013  Became Public Law No: 113-006



Prior to Mar 28, 2013, the date in which this newly passed law was published, the bill was referred to as appropriations for the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other departments and agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes.




LEARN MORE: http://www.savingamericashorses.org/legislation.html


MORE ABOUT HR933: 
Language contained in HR933 regarding USDA inspections can be found in Division A, Title I and appears as follows:

DIVISION A—AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG
ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2013
Title I—Agricultural Programs
H. R. 933—3
TITLE I
AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS
PRODUCTION, PROCESSING AND MARKETING
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
Page 10
FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE
For necessary expenses to carry out services authorized by the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection Act, including not to exceed $50,000 for representation allowances and for expenses pursuant to section 8 of the Act approved August 3, 1956 (7 U.S.C. 1766), $1,001,427,000; and in addition, $1,000,000 may be credited to this account from fees collected for the cost of laboratory accreditation as authorized by section 1327 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 138f): Provided, That funds provided for the Public Health Data Communication Infrastructure system shall remain available until expended: Provided further, That no fewer than 148 full-time equivalent positions shall be employed during fiscal year 2013 for purposes dedicated solely to inspections and enforcement related to the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act: Provided further, That the Food Safety and Inspection Service shall continue implementation of section 11016 of H. R. 933—11 Public Law 110–246: Provided further, That this appropriation shall be available pursuant to law (7 U.S.C. 2250) for the alteration and repair of buildings and improvements, but the cost of altering any one building during the fiscal year shall not exceed 10 percent of the current replacement value of the building.