The Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2009 (H.R. 305) will ban the use of double-decker livestock trailers in the interstate transportation of horses. While current law prohibits the use of these trailers in transporting horses to slaughter, a loophole exists that allows their transportation to any other non-slaughter location, e.g. feedlots, auctions and other facilities. These low-ceiling double-decker trailers were not designed for horses, and horses forced onto them must endure having their heads bent over for hours upon hours in overcrowded conditions while suffering a high risk of sustaining injury or even death.

The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503) will end the slaughter of horses for human consumption and the domestic and international transport of live horses or horseflesh for human consumption.

In 2007, state courts closed America's last three equine processors in Texas and Illinois.  Still, the lack of a federal law let over 100,000 horses go to  slaughter in Canada and Mexico in 2008.  Violent slaughter should never be an alternative to rescue, adoption or humane euthanasia.  Furthermore, without a federal law, horse kill plants may reopen in states where they are not currently banned. 

Pro-horse slaughter organizations and individuals have consistently fought the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act and Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, claiming there is a huge "unwanted horse" population in the U.S.  Proponents of this unsubstantiated claim have lobbied Congress to block passage of the federal ban.

Their premise is that slaughter improves horse welfare -- offering a "humane" way to dispose of these animals, a "necessary evil" without which horses would be subjected to neglect, abandonment and abuse. In truth, no hard data exists to back claims about a burgeoning population of "unwanted horses."  It is clear that killer buyers working for slaughterhouses are outbidding other buyers at auction because they have financial incentive.  The market for slaughter horses is set by the international demand for their meat in other countries, not by the number of supposedly unwanted horses!

A truly humane veterinary organization has emerged to counter the unsubstantiated claims of these veterinary and industry organizations. Veterinarians for Equine Welfare (VEW) was founded by a group of leading veterinarians to help educate the public about horse slaughter from a veterinary position.  "Horse owners currently have two options when their horse has reached the end of his or her trail: They can pay to do the right thing (re-home or euthanasia) or be paid to do the wrong thing (send to slaughter). A few thoughtless folks choose to do the latter, and it should not be an option." -- VEW co-founder Dr. Nicholas Dodman.

To read more about this wonderful organization, please click here - > http://www.vetsforequinewelfare.org/about-us.php.

Tell your senators to co-sponsor and support H.R. 305 and H.R. 503! 


Morgan and Gallegly to Co-Chair Congressional Animal Protection Caucus!

Reps. Jim Morgan (D-VA) and Elton Gallegly (R-CA) announced February 18,  that they will co-chair the newly formed "Congressional Animal Protection Caucus (CAPC)," a bipartisan organization committed to raising awareness of animal welfare issues in Congress.  CAPC replaces the Friends of Animals Caucus that existed in previous Congress.

Through non-partisan forums and briefings, CAPC will seek to highlight important issues affecting animals and upcoming animal welfare legislation.  CAPC will also track the progress of relevant legislation, provide members of Congress with dependable information and attempt to build broad coalitions in support of humane animal welfare laws.

In the 110th Congress, the caucus was instrumental in the passing of tougher animal fighting legislation and tightening animal welfare regulations in the 2008 Farm Bill.  Priorities for the 11th Congress include legislation banning the slaughter of horses, stronger regulations on Internet sales of puppies and legislation requiring accurate labels on all fur products.

Tell your senators to support the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus! 


USDA Misappropriates Over ONE BILLION in Taxpayer Dollars!

Three separate reports by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) indicate that between the years 1999 to 2008, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) misappropriated over a BILLION in taxpayers dollars!

A July 9, 2007 report and a July 24, 2007 report state that not only were millions given away to farming entities that exceeded income limits established by the legislature or to entities that had little to do with farming, but also that 1.1 BILLION in farm payments made from 1999 to 2005 were given to 170,000 DECEASED individuals!

GOA Reports:

July 9, 2007 Report;
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07818.pdf

July 24, 2007 Report; 
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071137t.pdf

2008 report (indicated that $49 million was similarly misappropriated to 2,500 farmers above the income means or to entities having little to do with farming and/or agriculture): 
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0967.pdf

The GAO, ignoring the "lost money" issue, has confirmed that from this point forward, the USDA should review all tax returns prior to the granting of farm subsidies, noting that about 1.8 million farmers receive over 20 BILLION dollars annually in farm subsidies.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner announced March 19, 2009 that beginning with the 2009 crop year, all farm program participants will be required to sign a separate form  granting the IRS the authority to provide income information to USDA to verify that their incomes do not exceed limits established in the 2008 farm bill. 
 
Concerned about claims of "invasion of privacy rights," Vilsack stated that the USDA Farm Service Agency will not receive producers’ actual tax data and that the agency will adhere to all disclosure and Privacy Act rules.

The 2008 farm bill makes farmers ineligible for the direct payments program if their adjusted gross income from farming for the past three years averaged more than $750,000 or their nonfarm income exceeded $500,000. Landowners also are ineligible for conservation payments if their nonfarm average gross income exceeded $1 million for the last  three years unless two-thirds of it came from farming.

Vilsack said, one of the goals of this administration is to make certain that USDA payments are not issued to individuals and entities that exceed income eligibility limits established by law. Once this verification system is fully operational, high-income individuals and entities will be identified by USDA before farm program payments are actually disbursed to them.

Geithner added, “This cooperation between the Treasury Department and USDA will implement reforms from the 2008 farm bill to ensure payments go only to those who need them and are supposed to receive them. The goal is to limit excessive payments while providing for fairness to family farmers.”

Taxpayers are encouraged to write their legislators asking for a FULL RETURN of the misappropriated monies, particularly the most recent $49 million that was misappropriated in 2008 to 2,500 wealthy farmers that were ineligible to receive said payments or to entities that had little to do with farming or agriculture. 
 
USDA Contact:
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?navtype=MA&navid=CONTACT_US

U.S. Department of the Treasury;
http://www.ustreas.gov/

Governmet Accountability Office (GAO): 
http://www.gao.gov/

U.S. House of Representatives;
http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml

U.S.Senate;
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

U.S. Senate Finance Committee;
http://finance.senate.gov/index.html
(202) 224 - 4515