Obama Legalizes Horse Slaughter for Human Consumption

[TeaBagsAreForCups]

Obama Legalizes Horse Slaughter for Human Consumption
Author: madeline bernstein
Published: November 28, 2011 at 2:52 pm

Horse slaughter plants are legal again in the United States. Restrictions on horse meat processing for human consumption have been lifted.

In a bipartisan effort, the House of Representatives and the United States Senate approved the Conference Committee report on spending bill H2112, which among other things, funds the United States Department of Agriculture. On November 18th, as the country was celebrating Thanksgiving, President Obama signed a law, allowing Americans to kill and eat horses. Essentially, one turkey was pardoned in the presence of worldwide media while in the shadows, buried under pages of fiscal regulation, millions of horses were sentenced to death.

- SNIP -

Notwithstanding that 70% of Americans oppose horse slaughter, that President Obama made a campaign promise to permanently ban horse slaughter and exports of horses for human consumption (horses can be sent to Mexico and Canada), that documentation of animal cruelty, slaughterhouse stench, fluid runoff and negative community impact exists, it is taxpayers that will bear the costs!

Wyoming state representative Sue Wallis and her pro-slaughter group estimate that between 120,000 and 200,000 horses will be killed for human consumption per year and that Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Georgia and Missouri, are considering opening slaughter plants. During these trying times, is the only thing that Democrats and Republicans can agree on is that Americans need to eat horses?


http://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/obama-legalizes-horse-slaughter-for-human/#ixzz1fAOvBy1d

[Ter]

1. What makes a horse's life more valuable than a cow or lamb's?

I fail to see much difference.

[Bluenorthwest]

21. So then, dogs, cats, that's fine with you as well? No difference?

Wow.

[NYC Liberal]

28. So is a cow's or a pig's life less valuable than a horse's is?

[totodeinhere]

34. Almost any mammal is edible. The reason why we eat some but not others is cultural and has nothing

to do with good nutrition or anything else. And of course in our culture certain animals are acceptable to eat whereas in other cultures they are not. Many East Indians would puke at the thought of eating beef, whereas we don't like the idea of eating dogs while dogs are considered a delicacy in parts of Asia.

[SadPanda]

82. I do, but the reality is this bill passed with a VETO PROOF majority in both houses of congress

So he had to sign it regardless of personal belief or past promises.

As for problems with horse meat. It's entirely cultural. Mostly in english speaking countries, western Europe and I know firsthand in Brazil. It's because humans form such a bond with the animals and we have easy access to other kinds of meats.

I first ate horse meat in Japan before. Though it was ordered for me and I thought it was cow beef until I tasted it and asked what it was marinated in. It tastes kind of sweet but not as sweet as venison. It's not bad but it's not as good as a Porterhouse!

It's a cheap meat. Meaning it can be mass produced and sold at lesser prices. Also, horses are less immune to some of the diseases cows are so susceptible to.


With all that said. I wouldn't eat horse and I don't even ride horses. Similar in my mind to eating a dog. Heck, I hardly ever eat pork. Beef Steak? Yes. Yes I would. Medium rare please. I'm human. I eat cows.

[msongs]

2. pigs, cows, chicken, buffalos, fish....horses. not much difference is there? nt

[boppers]

3. Non-native pests.

I'd be happier if the bill assisted use of native species for meat, of course.

[Tarheel_Dem]

4. Am I supposed to be outraged? We slaughter many animal species for human consumption.

If you can prove to me that horses are somehow endangered, I might have an issue with this, but barring that, being a meat eater myself, I don't see the big deal. However, I do hope that ground meat is clearly identified. ;)

[Bluenorthwest]

23. So you would also approve of dog slaughter and cat meat?

Not a huge deal?

[totodeinhere]

36. Are dogs better than cows? When I was a youngster living with my family we kept a steer as a pet in

a field on our property. We would have never considered eating it. Some of our neighbors thought we were crazy but so what. He had a name of course and anytime one of us came outside he would run up to the fence and greet us. And if we entered his field he would come up to us and rub on us. He was a wonderful pet who eventually died of old age after I had grown up and left home. Cows are herding animals and he considered our family to be his herd.

The adopt a cow website:

http://worldanimalfoundation.homestead.com/AdoptACow.html

[jsmirman]

40. They are BOTH awesome

and the way our food industry treats our animals is a disgrace.

I'm a vegetarian because, at a certain point, I realized I could not contribute one more drop to this reckless, dangerous, and immoral cruelty.

[totodeinhere]

50. I have no problem with killing another animal to eat it. Our species is a part of the

food chain. It is no more cruel for me to eat meat than it is for a lion in Africa to eat an antelope or for a big fish in the ocean to eat a little fish. Our species is omnivorous. Our teeth have evolved to chew meat and we have been eating meat for thousands of years. My only point is that it is silly to oppose eating a dog when you can go right ahead and eat a cow.

I do however support humane treatment for all animals raised for food.

[jsmirman]

63. I do not find the issue to be as simple as you find it

and I am personally untroubled by the distinctions you challenge as I am a vegetarian.

But your last sentence overwhelms any of the above, as it dominates the issue in a manner rendering such philosophical debates irrelevant.

The overwhelming percentage of animals killed for domestic consumption live in inhumane conditions and are killed using cruel and inhumane methods.

The percentage of cruelty-free consumption is so small as to be negligible.

[SadPanda]

85. Honestly, I think that's really cool... even though I eat beef

I have some cousins. As a child I remember their father kept and sold anywhere between 10 and 15 cattle at a time. But there was this one cow (female) that my cousins took a liking to that was oddly affectionate towards them. They begged him to keep it and he did, for like 10 years until it died of old age. The rest went off within just a few years.

[Hippo_Tron]

90. Dog meat is consumed in other countries...

Which animals we slaughter for food and which animals we keep as pets is just cultural relativity.

[AtomicKitten]

5. I don't recall this as a campaign promise and PolitiFact has no record of it.

I don't support it. It's no different than factory farming which is criminal in my eyes.

I think Obama signed on as co-sponsor of a bill banning this when he was in the Senate, but I don't recall this particular issue a campaign promise and I can't find any record of it. Anyone?

[jsmirman]

16. This WAS a Promise + More Problems with GAO report

Letter to Obama

"During the 2008 campaign you said, "Federal policy towards animals should respect the dignity of animals and their rightful place as cohabitants of our environment. We should strive to protect animals and their habitats and prevent animal cruelty, exploitation and neglect.... I have consistently been a champion of animal-friendly legislation and policy and would continue to be so once elected." You announced that you had co-sponsored legislation to stop the sale for slaughter of wild free-roaming horses and burros. During the 2008 campaign you signed on as co-sponsor to the bill to ban horse slaughter for human consumption. When asked specifically during the campaign, "Will you support legislation ...to institute a permanent ban on horse slaughter and exports of horses for human consumption", you gave an unqualified "Yes". (HSLF questionnaire)"

BS Lurks Within the GAO Report

I have tried my damnedest to keep the faith with this President. The other party sucks worse. The clowns they are putting forward are totally unacceptable.

I am always about THE COURT.

But damn, if this doesn't just about do it, with an administration that has betrayed those of us who care about the environment and about animals. I've fucking had it. Fuck my party.

[mbt14]

33. What to do next?

Dear Jsmirman,
It seems like you are up to date on what is happening. I have not had time to sift through all the details here, but is there a new petition to sign or anything I can do? I am absolutely heartbroken.

[jsmirman]

38. There is a bill to flat out Ban Horse Slaughter but

mostly I wish I knew the answer.

I am disconsolate and sleepless. I am done supporting this man I gave one of the most valuable summer's of my life to. I busted my hump for that guy and this party - I never thought it would happen, but I am finally a man without a party.

The Ban Horse Slaughter bill would replace what was essentially an end around (the defunding of federal inspectors to perform the inspection services on horse meat needed to allow it into the interstate market), but I just have a hard time believing there is the political will to get that bill through.

Look it up, though, and support it as you can.

A lot of people speaking in this thread who don't know a damn thing about what they are talking about.

The excuse making for every feckless action by our man in Washington - the man of no principles - has become pathetic.

What the hell does he stand for? He damn well did break a promise here.

Yes, all this means is that he's no better than the rest of them, but he sold himself at least as something better.

I always knew his conservative bent was his conservative bent - but I thought at least he would bring some honesty and decency to Washington. I don't feel that way anymore.

[marlakay]

6. Once a long time ago when I was 18

I was tricked into eating it not knowing what it was, I immediately got sick to my stomach when i found out and I would never never never eat it again….

[nobodyspecial]

7. So what else was in the bill?

And the headline is BS. Congress approved it.

And unless you ban all meat production, why should horses get special treatment?

[frazzled]

48. A lot

H.R. 2112, the “Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012,” provides FY 2012 full-year appropriations through September 30, 2012, for the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Health and Human Services', Food and Drug Administration, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Transportation; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, and other small agencies. In addition, it provides for continuing FY 2012 appropriations through December 16, 2011, for the remaining projects and activities of the Federal Government.

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=19188

So Obama was supposed to veto a bill that funds vast swaths of the Federal Government, including Housing, Justice, Transportation, NASA, NSF, Commerce, etc. because it failed to include a provision that banned money for inspections of horsemeat (which it previously always funded until 2007).

Here is a more exact description of what happened with the "horse meat":

An appropriations bill that does not specifically deny USDA funding to conduct inspections of horsemeat for human consumption could allow horse processing to resume in the U.S. The Fiscal Year 2012 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act (H.R. 2112), or the so-called "Mini-bus Bill," establishes 2012 budgets for the Department of Agriculture and several other federal departments through September 2012.

Prior to 2005 USDA personnel carried out horsemeat food safety inspections at U.S. horse processing plants. In 2006 Congress voted to strip the USDA of funding for horsemeat inspections. USDA personnel continued to conduct those inspections on a fee-for-service basis until 2007 when a federal court judge ruled against the arrangement. The combination of the funding prohibition and the court decision resulted in the decline of the horse processing industry in the U.S.

Language stripping the USDA of horsemeat inspection funding did not appear in the original fiscal 2012 House Agricultural Appropriations bill when it was introduced earlier this year. However, the House Appropriations Committee adopted an amendment prohibiting the use of federal dollars to fund USDA horsemeat inspections. No such provision was contained in the Senate's version of the Appropriations bill.

After passage in their respective legislative houses, both the House and Senate bills were referred to a conference committee. The resulting consolidated bill did not contain the defunding language. The committee recommended the bill for passage, then forwarded to the full House and Senate for vote. On Nov. 17 the full House passed H.R. 2112 by 298-121 vote. The Senate also passed the bill by a 70 to 30 vote. President Barak Obama signed the bill into law on Nov. 18. As a result, the USDA could conduct horsemeat inspections at least until September 2012.

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=19188

[karynnj]

65. Thank you for finding this

The outraged "this is the last straw for Obama" people really need to read this.

[Kennah]

8. Soylent Corporation applauds the President

[Tx4obama]

9. Before anyone believes the OP they should first read what the bill actually says.

Bill is here: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr2112pp/pdf/BILLS-112hr2112pp.pdf

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.R.2112:

[ellisonz]

18. The way I read it appears to have been stricken from the bill.

The entire section I saw when I searched the PDF for horses had it stricken out. Am I correct in my reading?

[vaberella]

20. No one cares. It's 'bash Obama' time. n/t

[saras]

10. Why should cats, dogs, or fetuses be treated any differently?

When it comes down to it, there's no reason at all except emotional ones. If you don't respect others' then you needn't expect to have your own respected. Long pig is healthy and nutritious.

If horse meat were exclusively a luxury item, purchased only by the knowing and willing, likely no one would have a problem with it. That, unfortunately, has not been the history, ours or anyone else's.

In the actual (457 page) bill, the only mention of horses is on pg 77, where (engage complex logic unit) provisions forbidding spending money on
1. inspecting horse meat under 21 U.S.C. 603.
2. inspecting horses under 7 U.S.C. 1901 section 903
3. implementing 352.19 of title 9, Code of Federal Regulations

are struck out, thereby enabling money to be spent on these activities.

Item 1 is the normal meat inspection process.
Item 2 is regulation of transport of horses for slaughter
Item 3 restricts ante-mortem inspections

the effect of the three together is to allow the government to spend money on inspecting horse meat.

the list of amendments at http://appropriations.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Amendments_Adopted_to_AG_Approps_Bill_FY_12.pdf
has more obnoxious stuff, of course.

[Tx4obama]

11. The GAO Report

Here's a link to the GAO report saying why the inspection ban needed to be lifted

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11228.pdf

Looks like the Dems in Congress and Obama probably did a good thing.

[jsmirman]

14. Oh f*** the GAO

who I can see out of my window.

Read this: GAO Report Flaws

for a counterpoint

[lamp_shade]

12. Ahhhh - This Evening's Outrage. Please read the link at Post #11.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Loudmxr]

15. That's not so bad my doggies can eat and so can poor people.

I went jet skiing in the Philippines and I described it as like riding a horse.

My friends said they had never ridding a horse.. that is because, over the years, they ate them all.

This country is turning into a third world country like the PI. I don't like it!!

I first realized that three years ago in Leyte and Samar.

This is just one more thing that I dislike about the BO administration.

And BTW anyone who rides a horse with a saddle is a wimp!!!

Bareback baby!!! I loved my horse "Hansful" who was a hands full. That was many years ago but I still remember. I would never wanted him slaughtered for food.. but in a growing 3rd world country what can you expect?

Edited for indignation.

[Inuca]

24. It's not about 3rd world, or 1st, or any other number country

It's a matter of traditionm different cultures. As far as I know they eat horses in France. And yes, there are parts of the world where they eat dogs, and that does not make them reprehensible nor backward, repugnant and stomach churning as I personally find the idea.

[GoCubsGo]

27. Yep. In most parts of India, they won't eat cattle.

Much of India is "Third World". What does that say about us? Or, cattle? The French also love snails, but most Americans wouldn't touch them, even though they'll pig out on calamari, clams and oysters, which are just another type of mollusk.

[jsmirman]

17. Obama is FOS, and he DAMN sure fooled us

2008 Endorsement: Looks Like He Fooled Us Good

Monday, September 22, 2008

Humane Society Legislative Fund Endorses Obama-Biden

One of the guiding principles of the Humane Society Legislative Fund is that we evaluate candidates based on a single criterion: where they stand on animal protection policies. We don’t make decisions based on party affiliation, or any other social issue, or even how many pets they have. We care about their views and actions on the major policy debates relating to animal welfare.

It stirs controversy to get involved in candidate elections. But we believe that candidates for office and current lawmakers must be held accountable, or they will see the animal protection movement as a largely irrelevant political constituency. In order to have good laws, we need good lawmakers, and involvement in elections is an essential strategy for any serious social movement, including our cause.

While we’ve endorsed hundreds of congressional candidates for election, both Democrats and Republicans, we’ve never before endorsed a presidential candidate. We have members on the left, in the center, and on the right, and we knew it could be controversial to choose either party’s candidate for the top office in the nation. But in an era of sweeping presidential power, we must weigh in on this most important political race in the country. Standing on the sidelines is no longer an option for us.

I’m proud to announce today that the HSLF board of directors—which is comprised of both Democrats and Republicans—has voted unanimously to endorse Barack Obama for President. The Obama-Biden ticket is the better choice on animal protection, and we urge all voters who care about the humane treatment of animals, no matter what their party affiliation, to vote for them.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has been a solid supporter of animal protection at both the state and federal levels. As an Illinois state senator, he backed at least a dozen animal protection laws, including those to strengthen the penalties for animal cruelty, to help animal shelters, to promote spaying and neutering, and to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption. In the U.S. Senate, he has consistently co-sponsored multiple bills to combat animal fighting and horse slaughter, and has supported efforts to increase funding for adequate enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, and federal laws to combat animal fighting and puppy mills.

In his response to the HSLF questionnaire, he pledged support for nearly every animal protection bill currently pending in Congress, and said he will work with executive agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior to make their policies more humane. He wrote of the important role animals play in our lives, as companions in our homes, as wildlife in their own environments, and as service animals working with law enforcement and assisting persons with disabilities. He also commented on the broader links between animal cruelty and violence in society.

Obama has even on occasion highlighted animal protection issues on the campaign trail, and has spoken publicly about his support for animal protection. In reaction to the investigation showing the abuse of sick and crippled cows which earlier this year led to the largest meat recall in U.S. history, he issued a statement saying “that the mistreatment of downed cows is unacceptable and poses a serious threat to public health.” He is featured in Jana Kohl’s book about puppy mills, A Rare Breed of Love, with a photo of Obama holding Baby (shown above), the three-legged poodle rescued from an abusive puppy mill operation, and his political mentor, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), is the author of the latest federal bill to crack down on puppy mills.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Number23]

67. Somebody's FOS in this thread all right...

[SadPanda]

80. This part of the bill he signed was passed by veto proof majority in congress...

He is not allowed to NOT sign it because of that. It's in the constitution.

[Cigar11]

22. Here’s a thought;

how about we get back to the Horse issue right after we complete a few other more important issues … say like Jobs and The Economy.

[dionysus]

25. soon his plan for horse genocide will be complete.

:eyes:

[okieinpain]

61. LOL. n/t.

[ProSense]

26. It's

"Obama Legalizes Horse Slaughter for Human Consumption"

...amazing how may horse activists show up after the fact. Wouldn't it have been better to fight the bill before it became law?

This is highlighted in the OP:

"On November 18th, as the country was celebrating Thanksgiving, President Obama signed a law, allowing Americans to kill and eat horses. Essentially, one turkey was pardoned in the presence of worldwide media while in the shadows, buried under pages of fiscal regulation, millions of horses were sentenced to death."

Thanksgiving was not November 18th. It appears the only purpose of this hysterical piece is to create the impression that Obama did something negative.

Here's the roll call, 30 Republicans voted against the bill.

Does anyone know what's actually in the bill?

Why did the House Republicans' version maintain the ban? Why did the Senate Democratic caucus, including Bernie Sanders, lift it?

Action Needed to Address Unintended Consequences from Cessation of Domestic Slaughter (PDF)


Here's another bill that's going to sail through Congress.

Look how little attention it's getting.

[jsmirman]

41. Uh, what, specifically are you asking?

You throw around a lot of aimless questions.

Sorry, but on November 18th, I was home, sorting through my dead father's medical office for keepsakes to remember him by. And then being at home with Mom, as we struggle as a family to deal with the loss of the most wonderful man we have known.

This barrel was rolled long before November 18th, anyway.

I warned folks long ago that the upcoming (no longer upcoming) farm bill was what was truly dangerous.

Check out the Belgian company Cavel to see what a wonderful industry we are reviving in this country, and how many dollars in taxes we can expect to see from these foreign butcher (zero).

And for all those saying they were just taken to Canada or Mexico, anyway, you're missing the boat completely. The statistics are misleading (see links I've provided in this thread), and if you don't believe the trip from, say, the Northwest to one of these murder facilities down South provides plenty of opportunity for this utterly inhumane industry to torture these poor animals before they arrive at their ultimate hell, well, you would be wrong.

[okieinpain]

62. no say it's not so, bernie sanders is killing horses. n/t.

[MoonRiver]

29. Horrific! But being a vegetarian I think all killing of sentient beings to be horrific.

Still, this does not improve my opinion about Obama and animal rights. He is a colossal FAIL in this department. x(

[treestar]

30. Please show how "funds the Dept. of Agriculture" leads to

your conclusion. It appears the OP title is perhaps exaggerated.

[jsmirman]

37. Wrong

By refusing to fund FSIS inspectors to inspect horse meat, they eliminated the horse meat trade, and thus, the "domestic" (it was all run by foreign companies who pay NO taxes here) horse slaughter industry.

No "meat" that has not been inspected by FSIS inspectors is allowed into interstate commerce (which includes US to Foreign trade), meaning that there was no way for slaughter plants to market anywhere but in-state (where there is no market).

Read up on Cavel and tell me that this industry doesn't go hand in hand with unbelievable cruelty.

Oh, we'll try to have regulations to monitor cruelty? No you won't. The restrictions are always weak and pathetic - there is no political will to do the right thing.

Another animal slaughter industry simply = MORE CRUELTY.

And yes, I am a vegetarian.

This is ridiculous.

[treestar]

44. All it does is not fund inspectors?

So it is still against the law to use horse meat, there just aren't going to be as many inspectors?

[jsmirman]

46. No, wrong

I'll try to explain it again when I get back in a few hours.

You might want to read my post again, though - everything you posited here is wrong (not saying this is deliberate on your part, you just have it all wrong).

It is not against the law to use horse meat - it is against the law for "meat" not inspected by Federal inspectors to make it into the interstate market. Meaning no inspectors = no way to get it into the interstate market.

And since the whole market is foreign and there is not a meaningful domestic market, if you can only sell in-state, you won't run a horse slaughter facility on US Territory.

There, maybe I did explain it for you.

The domestic horse slaughter industry is(was) all about foreign customers, foreign corporations that pay no taxes, and horrible cruelty.

There are many shameful, ignorant posts in this thread by people adopting a mantle of all-knowingness. Unfortunately, on this topic, they appear to know very little.

[treestar]

69. So you can only sell horse meat in state

or to foreigners?

And before that, you could sell it so long as it had been inspected.

So how does the title of the OP apply? If anything, now it sounds like interstate meat sales in the US cannot take place, and could before.

[jsmirman]

74. Let me help

You're confused here.

Previously, as you were without the ability to get a Federal inspection (and get the necessary USDA stamp, etc, etc.), you could only sell IN-STATE. Because virtually no Americans eat horsemeat, there is no such thing as a viable IN-STATE MARKET in any of the 50 states.

Still looking at the "previously" part of things, because you couldn't get that Federal inspection, you could NOT sell horsemeat from, say, Illinois to any other state or to a foreign country, as both would involve entering interstate commerce without the necessary federal inspection.

NOW - as a result of the possibility of receiving federal inspection at your horse death camp, you CAN ship from say, Illinois into the INTERSTATE MARKET - you can ship from Illinois to Maine, or, more importantly, to France or Belgium. You can do this because your "meat" now HAS received the necessary Federal inspection, and, as such, is "good to go" for INTERSTATE COMMERCE.

I hope this clear it up for you.

[Atman]

31. I just can't get upset about this. Why is a horse special?

We eat damned near everything here in the Yew Ess Ovay. Last weekend I watched that Zimmer dude eat beaver on the Travel Channel. In other countries they eat monkey brains and maggots and cats and dogs. So why is a horse so special? If you own one and want to ride it, good for you. But that doesn't make his loins any less edible.

.

[Tom Ripley]

32. Pommes frites cooked in horse fat are exquisite

[uppityperson]

70. Where in the world are you to get frites in horse fat?

serious question. Not only to know what pommes frites are, but in horse fat. Thanks.

[bornskeptic]

35. As the bill passed with veto-proof margins in both the House and Senate

trying to blame Obama for this is really reaching.
298-121 in the House
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll857.xml
70-30 in the Senate
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00208

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Life Long Dem]

42. AP news...

Congress quietly lifted a 5-year-old ban on funding horse meat inspections,...

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/horses-could-soon-slaughtered-meat-us-080907323.html

[struggle4progress]

43. Let's all blame Obama because an appropriations bill, sent to him by Congress, DIDN"T contain

certain language!

:eyes:

Yesterday, upon the stair
I met a man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today
I wish, I wish he’d go away

When I came home last night at three
The man was waiting there for me
But when I looked around the hall
I couldn’t see him there at all

- Antigonish (Hughes Mearns 1899)

[Blaukraut]

45. That horrible Obama! He's EATING our ponies now!

This is the most ridiculous outrage du jour yet. Now that horseflesh can be legally inspected for human consumption, Obama is coming for our pet ponies and race horses? :crazy:

[whistler162]

71. Now quarter pounders with cheese will have a new meaning!

NOW with 50% more Quarter Horse!

[ProSense]

47. PETA Statement:

Horse Slaughter to Start Again in US

After a 5-year hiatus, Congress has restored funding for U.S. inspectors to oversee horse slaughter, opening the door for horses to be killed and butchered in the United States for the first time since 2006.

No one wants to see any horse killed for meat or to turn a fast buck, and PETA has always had concerns about the suspension of US slaughter, since it meant more suffering for these sensitive animals, not less. What we feared would happen did: Rather than have a change of heart and stop killing horses, greedy ranchers who deal in horse flesh simply jammed their “commodities” into tractor trailers and hauled the frightened animals hundreds of miles to Canada and Mexico – a journey most did not have to face before - to terrifying deaths in slaughterhouses there. As PETA documented years ago, that ride means horses crammed together with strangers who bite and kick, slippery floors that mean foals and pregnant mares fall and are trampled, and horses who, being taller than cows but often shipped in cattle trucks, must ride the whole way with their heads bent to their chests. That export loophole still needs to be slammed shut. To reduce horses’ suffering, there must be a ban on exports of live horses together with a ban on slaughter in the U.S., or it doesn’t work, never did, never will.

Remember, industries that breed horses for profit—horseracing, rodeo and the carriage trade—are largely to blame for this crisis since they have created the tragic overpopulation of horses.

GAO report: Action Needed to Address Unintended Consequences from Cessation of Domestic Slaughter (PDF)

[MoonRiver]

53. Obama just lost my vote.

Won't vote for a Rethug. But I will sit out the next election. Liar, liar, pants on fire OBAMA! :puke:

[ProSense]

54. Please

"Won't vote for a Rethug. But I will sit out the next election. Liar, liar, pants on fire OBAMA!"

...tell it to him, and spare me the puking.

[MoonRiver]

56. I'll be happy to tell it to him.

He tried to sell the earth's great whales down the river. That was too hard so he found an easier target: horses.

[Thumper79]

49. This makes me so pissed off

I am so angry that this bill passed that I'm shaking while I'm typing this. Horses have been my life. I can't imagine one being slaughtered for meat. I can't imagine Americans eating horse meat, just like I can't see them eating dogs and cats. There is now a good chance that horses can be stolen for this very purpose. I also don't want one penny of my taxes going to subsidize horse slaughter. I understand there is a bill in both the House and Senate that will overturn this decision. I am writing and calling in support of them both. :mad:

[ProSense]

52. Who

"I understand there is a bill in both the House and Senate that will overturn this decision."

...is sponsoring the Senate bill? Every member of the Democratic caucus voted for the bill being discussed.

In June, the following bill was introduced:

S.1176
Latest Title: American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011
Sponsor: Sen Landrieu, Mary L. (introduced 6/9/2011) Cosponsors (25)
Related Bills:H.R.2966
Latest Major Action: 6/9/2011 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
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SUMMARY AS OF:
6/9/2011--Introduced.

American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011 - Amends the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption.

Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to detain for examination, testing, or the taking of evidence: (1) any horse at any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction that is sore or which the Secretary has probable cause to believe is sore; and (2) any horse or other equine that the Secretary has probable cause to believe is being shipped, transported, moved, delivered, received, possessed, purchased, sold, or donated in violation of such prohibition.

Increases the cap on the amount of appropriations that may be used to carry out such Act.

COSPONSORS(25), ALPHABETICAL : (Sort: by date)
Sen Akaka, Daniel K. - 6/9/2011
Sen Begich, Mark - 6/9/2011
Sen Blumenthal, Richard - 6/15/2011
Sen Boxer, Barbara - 11/16/2011
Sen Brown, Scott P. - 6/9/2011
Sen Carper, Thomas R. - 6/9/2011
Sen Collins, Susan M. - 6/9/2011
Sen Coons, Christopher A. - 6/30/2011
Sen Durbin, Richard - 7/18/2011
Sen Feinstein, Dianne - 7/22/2011
Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. - 6/9/2011
Sen Graham, Lindsey - 6/9/2011
Sen Kerry, John F. - 6/13/2011
Sen Kirk, Mark Steven - 6/9/2011
Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. - 6/9/2011
Sen Levin, Carl - 6/9/2011
Sen Lieberman, Joseph I. - 6/9/2011
Sen Menendez, Robert - 6/9/2011
Sen Mikulski, Barbara A. - 6/9/2011
Sen Reed, Jack - 7/19/2011
Sen Sanders, Bernard - 6/9/2011
Sen Schumer, Charles E. - 6/9/2011
Sen Shaheen, Jeanne - 7/21/2011
Sen Snowe, Olympia J. - 7/18/2011
Sen Whitehouse, Sheldon - 7/6/2011

Of course, they all voted for the HR 2112.

Maybe you could post a link to bill that will overturn the current legislation so that others who share your outrage can call.

[Name removed]

51. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TBF]

55. Good luck -

I posted this last night and it created quite a stir: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/TBF/82

I won't be responding to anything in this thread other than to give you a rec for putting this up in GD: P. It will be torn to shreds here because nothing - absolutely nothing - Obama does or says is wrong.

Here is another article that I posted which got little attention but it lays out how this will be accomplished and you might find that interesting (from the perspective of those who are looking to make money in this area: http://newsok.com/u.s.-horse-slaughter-plants-in-the-very-early-stages-of-planning-proponent-says/article/3626718#ixzz1f9lgCE00). With capitalism it is always about the money. Always.

[TeaBagsAreForCups]

87. Thanks, for your kind...

.... wish and for the links.

And yes for some, there is just no challenge, no query of, nor any, even modest, challenge of the "great" man who sold us all that hope and change some three years ago.

It's been a long and very sad three years of watching so much of the belief, money, and time that I invested in support of this Presidency finally prove itself to have a value of but another dead and phony penny stock. A penny stock that is feckless, impotent, and walks into negotiations against pure evil as his adversary, with not a jar, but a case, of vaseline in his arms.

The only difference between our oligarch and their oligarchs is that ours is, by a very minute measure, just a wee bit less evil by nature and a soupcon brighter.

Small consolation.

[Walk away]

57. As a horse lover and past owner I find this very odd.

Horse slaughter for food is common in the US and always has been. They are killed and processed for the pet food industry. It's a big business and I don't love it but most people buying pet food don't check to see what kind of meat they are feeding their pets. Unless you are buying top quality, "meat bi-products" or "Meat" probably contains some horse meat.

The only thing this bill did was take away the rules concerning human grade horse meat exports. We are are already exporting horse meat for animal consumption and slaughtering huge amounts for our pets.

[ProSense]

58. What's

"Horse slaughter for food is common in the US and always has been. They are killed and processed for the pet food industry. It's a big business and I don't love it but most people buying pet food don't check to see what kind of meat they are feeding their pets. Unless you are buying top quality, "meat bi-products" or "Meat" probably contains some horse meat."

...even more odd is that horse meat isn't approve for human consumption in the U.S. While AP jumps on the bandwagon, the article does mention that fact.

<...>

It did not, however, allocate any new money to pay for horse meat inspections, which opponents claim could cost taxpayers $3 million to $5 million a year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture would have to find the money in its existing budget, which is expected to see more cuts this year as Congress and the White House aim to trim federal spending.

The USDA issued a statement Tuesday saying there are no slaughterhouses in the U.S. that butcher horses for human consumption now, but if one were to open, it would conduct inspections to make sure federal laws were being followed. USDA spokesman Neil Gaffney declined to answer questions beyond what was in the statement.

<...>

Someone is fueling this bogus claim, but why?

[Raine1967]

60. Glad someone posted article.

The slaughters never stopped. They were just exported.

And that AP article also talks about the struggles that Equine rescues are going thru as a result of the recession.

I am not advocating slaughter -- but this is not a simple black and white situation. That AP article is a very important one to better understand what is happening here.

[Rhiannon12866]

59. I've been following this issue since 2003 and can't believe this.

We've been fighting horse slaughter here for years, no excuse that it's sent to other countries. This is moving in the wrong direction and it's frustrating and heartbreaking... ;(

[jsmirman]

64. Well, I'll be

maybe some of us who are infuriated aren't duplicitous members of some fifth column, after all, but actually think this is flat out wrong.

[Number23]

66. For all your posts in this thread (I think I saw more than 10)

this thread is still at 0 recs. Better luck next time, eh?

I did a search on this issue and the only place this is getting any traction (besides DU of course) is The Washington Times. Hmmm...

And even more hmmmmm-worthy, PETA puts the blame for this on another group entirely and doesn't blame the president (Wish I knew what the secret recipe was for NOT blaming Obama for everything 'cause I'd sure as HELL be sprinkling it over DU):

"Remember, industries that breed horses for profit—horseracing, rodeo and the carriage trade—are largely to blame for this crisis since they have created the tragic overpopulation of horses."

http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2011/11/30/horse-slaughter-to-start-again-in-us.aspx

[jsmirman]

75. Argh, you could hardly be more wrong

please read the letter I am about to post in this thread.

Many animal organizations are extremely upset about this, as is borne out clearly in the letter that was sent to President Obama.

Recs? Really? If I wanted recs, I'd post another rip at Herman Cain, which I did about a week ago and got double digit recs. Whoopee.

Your hmmm... is cute. Sure, I'm part of a fifth column. Wait - so you're clear on this - that was SARCASM.

[Number23]

88. You sure love talking about a "fifth column." In fact, you're the only one using that phrase

Hmmmm...

[Name removed]

89. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jsmirman]

91. Ok, apparently you can make an insane accusation

and I can't respond in kind. I see...

[Rhiannon12866]

92. Well, liberals are usually animal lovers.

Just count the number of threads about animals that we see everyday here. :hi:

[Mass]

68. No, he signed a budget bill where this rider was included.

I just hope you have as much if not more problems for those who sent him this bill to sign. Surprisingly, I do not see anybody angry at them. Why is that?

BTW, I am not sure I see why "human consumption" makes a difference? Would animal consumption make a difference?

[dionysus]

72. because some ppl want to paint him as a monster, facts be damned i suppose.

[Walk away]

73. Republicans love easy lies to dupe their moronic base.

Sad when Dems eat it up with a spoon! "Obama kills and eats horses!" "Obama is a Muslim!" You would think a red light would go on.

[jsmirman]

76. President Obama Keep Your Promise

I've tried to put this in my own words, I've tried to break this down into component parts, I tried to start a thread where some of the stuff could be rationally laid out, so that some folks could see this wasn't hysteria or ill-motivated Obama-bating: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=824020&mesg_id=824020

However, it's not like I can say it much better than it is said in this excellent letter that dispels many of the falsehoods that are being bought hook, line, and sinker by many here.

It's long, but it addresses many of the issues, taking each of them in turn:

Letter to Obama
http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1878

Pres. Obama: Keep Promise, Support Equine Slaughter Ban
Posted Oct 24, 2011 by lauraallen

This letter was sent to Pres. Barack Obama today:

Dear President Obama,

We are presenting to you the signatures of more than 6,000 Americans on a White House petition to ban the slaughter of equines for human consumption. Your administration told us that if we gathered 5,000 signatures on a White House petition, the issue would receive consideration. We actually collected 5,000 signatures very quickly, at least 2 weeks before opponents were able to gather the same number of signatures for a petition started earlier to revive horse slaughter in the U.S. Of the 4 petitions created by mid-October regarding horses, the slaughter ban has collected the most signatures.

Thousands more Americans have sent letters directly to the White House over the past 3 years and still more have directed letters to their senators and representatives in Congress in an effort to end equine slaughter for human consumption.

We know from a 2006 Public Opinion Strategies poll that nearly 70% of Americans support a ban on equine slaughter. A CNN poll that same year showed a similar result. The support among Americans for a ban on equine slaughter for human consumption has grown: Currently, according to the Popvox poll, 77% of Americans support pending legislation, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, H.R. 2966/S.B. 1176, which would end the slaughter of American equines for human consumption.

We hope your administration will see this issue as paramount to human health and safety. It is also about saving communities from a predatory and environmentally and economically devastating practice. It is about stopping terrible cruelty and suffering of animals who are our companions and pets; they helped build this country and still work in the military and law enforcement and provide therapy as well as entertainment in horse racing, shows and other sports and exhibitions. They are not raised for food.

During the 2008 campaign you said, "Federal policy towards animals should respect the dignity of animals and their rightful place as cohabitants of our environment. We should strive to protect animals and their habitats and prevent animal cruelty, exploitation and neglect.... I have consistently been a champion of animal-friendly legislation and policy and would continue to be so once elected." You announced that you had co-sponsored legislation to stop the sale for slaughter of wild free-roaming horses and burros. During the 2008 campaign you signed on as co-sponsor to the bill to ban horse slaughter for human consumption. When asked specifically during the campaign, "Will you support legislation ...to institute a permanent ban on horse slaughter and exports of horses for human consumption", you gave an unqualified "Yes". (HSLF questionnaire)

Now is the time to keep that campaign promise, Mr. President. The supporters of this predatory, cruel and inhumane practice of slaughtering horses have wrapped their arguments up with the flag, motherhood and apple pie. They have lobbied extensively for the return of slaughter to the U.S. and the continued exports of equines for slaughter for human consumption. They even controlled a June, 2011 GAO report which has been refuted as based on misinformation, unsupported opinions and untruths. Go here and here.

The urgent reasons to ban equine slaughter have not changed, however, since you as Senator signed on as co-sponsor of anti-slaughter legislation:

1. The FDA does not regulate equines as food animals. Americans don't eat horses and other equines. American horses are not raised, fed and medicated within the FDA guidelines established for food animals, making them unfit and unsafe for human consumption. Equines are given all manner of drugs, steroids, de-wormers and ointments throughout their lives. Equines are not tracked and typically may have several owners. A kill buyer has no idea of the veterinary or drug history of a horse or other equine taken to slaughter, and many of the most dangerous drugs have no or a very long withdrawal period. A typical drug given routinely to equines like aspirin, phenylbutazone or Bute, is a carcinogen and can cause aplastic anemia in humans. It has no withdrawal period. The FDA bans bute in all food producing animals because of this serious danger to human health. The FDA and USDA would prohibit Americans from consuming horses because of this danger. Yet, neither the FDA nor the USDA prohibits the export of American horses for slaughter for human consumption. It is a grave risk to public health to continue to allow the export of American horses for slaughter for human consumption in other countries.

2. Equine slaughter has been devastating to the communities where slaughtering facilities have been located, with significant negative impacts including nuisance odors that permeated the surrounding towns to chronic sewer and environmental violations. Blood literally ran in the streets and waste from the facilities clogged sewers and piled up everywhere. This predatory practice produced few very low wage jobs, meaning workers and their families overran local resources like the hospitals and government services. This so called business brought in virtually no tax revenues and local governments incurred substantial enforcement costs in trying to regulate these facilities. The standard of living in these communities dropped during the time horse slaughter facilities operated. Good businesses refused to relocate there. As Paula Bacon, mayor of Kaufman, Texas during the time a horse facility operated there until 2007 said, "My community did not benefit. We paid."

Recently, when officials in Hardin, Montana learned of a plan to build horse facilities in that state, the town council immediately unanimously passed Ordinance No. 2010-01 that prohibits the slaughter of more than 25 animals in a seven day period. The message is clear: Americans don't want equine slaughter.

Equine slaughter has also been found to increase and abet horse theft in areas where facilities are located or horses are held for transport to slaughter.

3. Horse slaughter is not a means of controlling numbers of so-called unwanted, abandoned or neglected horses, but, rather, is a for-profit operation driven by a demand for horsemeat in some foreign countries. The USDA has confirmed more than 92% of horses that end up at slaughter are healthy; they are not unwanted, neglected or abused. Kill buyers are interested in buying the healthiest horses for horsemeat which is sold as a delicacy in some foreign countries.

The rise in numbers of horses in need and drop in horse prices is a result of the worst recession in memory. In fact, if slaughter controlled numbers of horses in need, there would be none as slaughter is still available and horses are sent to slaughter in the same numbers as before the 2007 closings of the slaughter houses that were located in the U.S. In fact, the availability of slaughter actually increases the numbers of excess horses and other equines on the market. Slaughter creates a salvage or secondary market that encourages overbreeding and adds to the problem of horses in need. Banning slaughter would reduce the number of excess horses and other equines.

Also, slaughter accounts for only about 3 cents for every $100 of the equine industry. It is absurd for anyone to suggest a limited salvage market could influence prices in the entire horse industry.

4. America's iconic wild horses and burros which are supposed to be legally protected on public lands under the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act, have been illegally sent to slaughter, and, indeed, a Justice Department investigation has been launched to try to stop this. A ban on exports of horses and burros for slaughter for human consumption would greatly assist in the enforcement of this Act.

5. Equine slaughter is not humane euthanasia. The slaughter of horses and other equines simply cannot be made humane: Dr. Lester Friedlander, DVM & former Chief USDA Inspector, told Congress in 2008 that the captive bolt used to slaughter horses is simply not effective. Horses and other equines, in particular, are very sensitive about anything coming towards their heads and cannot be restrained as required for effective stunning. Dr. Friedlander stated, "These animals regain consciousness 30 seconds after being struck, they are fully aware they are being vivisected." The Government Accountability Office and dozens of veterinarians and other witnesses have confirmed that ineffective stunning is common and animals are conscious during slaughter. It is simply not possible for USDA/APHIS to make equine slaughter humane and it is a myth to pretend otherwise.

6. The 2011 GAO report confirmed that USDA/APHIS has not - and cannot - enforce humane transport regulations for equines sent to slaughter. Changing a few words here and there in the regulations will not change this. USDA/APHIS allows the kill buyers and haulers to fill out and provide the documentation - which is routinely missing, incomplete or inaccurate - relied on for enforcement. It is impossible to enforce regulations when the information to determine violations is supplied by those USDA/APHIS is supposed to be regulating.

7. Equines are in danger and equine welfare is threatened as long as slaughter remains available, and only a federal law can stop exports of equines for slaughter for human consumption.

We urge you to keep that 2008 campaign promise and support the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, H.R. 2966/S.B. 1176. Thank you.

Sincerely,

John Holland, President, Equine Welfare Alliance

Vicki Tobin, Vice-President, Equine Welfare Alliance

Laura Allen, Executive Director, Animal Law Coalition, and Vice-President, Equine Welfare Alliance

Valerie James-Patten, Vice-President, Equine Welfare Alliance

[SadPanda]

77. Not really sure my opinion on this, I don't think I'd ever eat horse though.. but question!

What does horse taste like? Is it like deer venison? Or close to beef from a cow?

[FrenchieCat]

79. It tastes like beef.

I was raised in France, where it is a regular fare in many households.

[SadPanda]

83. Haha, ya

I was just trying to see if someone would get it right. Actually, I thought it tasted somewhere in between cow beef and venison. Sweet. Had it in Japan on accident. It's not bad and I'd normally not eat horse. Didn't know they ate it in France.

[SadPanda]

78. Downvoted because the vote on this in the House and Senate was Veto Proof

Meaning he HAD to sign it.

[jsmirman]

81. That does NOT mean he has to sign it

It doesn't mean that at all.

He could veto it and let them override his veto. This is "I'm just a bill" 101.

More realistically, though, he could sign it and honor his campaign promise by stating his displeasure at signing anything that removed the ban on funds for federal inspectors and his support for the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

This, he absolutely could have done. And he didn't. And that sucks.

[SadPanda]

84. Hmmm, so what you're saying is that no matter what Obama did...

It was going to be passed. Unless he did a lot of grandstanding and veto'd a bill that had the support of both parties and was going to hold up anything else? I just don't get the logic.

[jsmirman]

86. How is it grandstanding

to make a statement repeating something he promised during the campaign?

Why does a statement = grandstanding?

I sure don't get that logic.