Washington, DC

By Karen Sussman and Willis Lamm

In an act of open defiance against Congress and the expressed will of the American public, the US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) has filed in the Federal Register Vol. 71, No. 26 a scheme that will circumvent, and in fact nullify, Congress' ban on horse slaughter for human consumption. The USDA appears to be swayed more by the influence of three foreign slaughter plant operators than by Acts of Congress.

After overwhelming public support, Congress passed an amendment to the 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Bill that would prohibit Federal tax dollars from being used to fund the federally mandated inspection of horses to be slaughtered for human consumption, thereby eliminating horses from the slaughter "product stream." This amendment was overwhelmingly approved in both the House and the Senate, and became part of the 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Bill.

Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns has announced the change of a long standing rule that will now allow for the plants to pay for their own inspections and continue the slaughter of horses in our country. This act by Secretary Johanns is a clear affront to the will of the people whose Congressional Representatives and Senators voted by an overwhelming majority for an appropriations bill amendment that created a moratorium on horse slaughter. This moratorium was effected by stopping funding for USDA inspectors in horse slaughter plants. (See the amendment and Senate vote.)

This rule change must be published in the Federal Register and normally requires a thirty day period for public response and comment. Secretary Johanns, however, has shortened comment period in order to prevent the closure of the plants for even one day by creating an "interim final rule." The new rule will be effective on March 10th when the plants were scheduled to close down. View the rule.

Horse advocates ask concerned citizens to help: Please respond before February 28th, within a week is preferred.

Where to write or E-mail:

Write:	Docket Clerk, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service 300 12th St. SW Rm 102 Cotton Annex Washington, D.C. 20250
E-Mail:	fsis.regulationscomments@fsis.usda.gov

ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST INCLUDE THE AGENCY NAME AND DOCKET NO:
USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service Docket # 05-036IF

Please note that comments received will be available for public inspection.

The following sample letter was provided by the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros (ISPMB):

RE:  USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service Docket #05-036IF

Dear Secretary Johanns:
 
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the proposed rule change "Ante-Mortem
Inspection of Horses," CFR 9 Part 352 - Section 352.19.

I am expressing my voice for public comment to oppose this rule change that will
circumvent the intent of Congress to stop the slaughter of horses at the three
foreign owned slaughter plants in the United States from March 10 through October 1st
of this year.  
 
The Congressional record clearly shows that both opponents and supporters of the
Agricultural Appropriation amendment understood the intent of the amendment was to
end slaughter of horses in our country for fiscal year '06.  It is a travesty that
this proposed rule change will be in direct opposition to the will of the people as
indicated by the overwhelming Congressional majority in both houses who voted to
temporarily end horse slaughter.
 
Surely, the statistics are supportive to end slaughter of horses permanently in our
country.  Only 1% of America's horses are slaughtered and that is too many
(approximately 65,000 animals yearly).  There has been no increase in abuse cases in
states where slaughter has ceased.  The majority of animals killed are healthy
young horses. Finally, Americans do not eat horses and the 99% majority of horse 
owners do not send horses to these plants where these animals are not humanely killed
but suffer untold agony.
 
I ask that you abandon this rule change and follow the will of the majority of 
Americans - end horse slaughter this year.
 
Thank you for acknowledging my sincere and well researched comments.
 
______________(your name)

Advocates are requested to send letters to their Senators and Congressional Representative and let them know that the USDA has purposely thwarted the will of Congress and the desires of the majority of Americans to end horse slaughter. Ask for answers as to how and why this happened.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives have web sites that allow you to identify and get contact information for your Senators and Congressional Representatives.

• To locate the address of your US Senators (by state) Click Here.

  This site has a lookup box near the upper left corner of the page. Select your state and names of your two Senators, their mailing addresses, their phone numbers and e-mail contact links will be displayed. If you click on their names you will be linked to their web sites.

• To locate the address of your US Representative (by ZIP code) Click Here.

  This site has a lookup box near the upper left corner of the page. Enter your zip code and click "Go." The name of your representative and a link to his web site will be displayed. The web site for each representative is styled differently, however there will always be a "Contact" link and usually the Representative's mailing address and telephone number will appear at or near the bottom of the page.

The ISPMB requests that Copies of Congressional and Senate responses be sent to them for compiling. Email responses can be forwarded to ispmb@lakotanetwork.com.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this serious matter. A suitable public response is necessary before the rule takes effect.

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