President Signs Budget Bill Saving Americans from Potential Horse Meat Apocalypse
2014: No Horse Slaughter in the United States
http://rtfitchauthor.com/2014/01/18/president-signs-budget-bill-saving-americans-from-potential-horse-meat-apocalypse/
The specter of commercial horse slaughter returning to the U.S. was dealt a death blow Friday as President Barack Obama signed a budget measure that withholds funds for required federal inspections of horse slaughter operations.
Toxic horse meat contamination entered the European human food chain one year ago this month and EU authorities are still attempting to deal with the fall-out. Horse meat was found in everything from Ikea meatballs to Taco Bell burritos and it is hoped that none of these tainted products made it to the United States where the commercial slaughter of horses for food is now rendered as illegal.
The verbiage for the defunding appears on page 89 of the 1582-page Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014:
In a nutshell that means several things; the government is forbidden from paying for the inspection of horses under the Federal Meat Inspection Act and it also cannot implement or enforce section 352.19 of title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations. That section says “an official establishment that wishes to slaughter horses can apply for voluntary ante-mortem inspection.”
That means anybody wanting to slaughter a horse and sell its drug laden flesh to U.S. consumers is just flat out of luck.
The president’s action came as a New Mexico judge granted a preliminary injunction against a Roswell NM company from moving forward with its plans to start slaughtering horses.
A ruling by state District Judge Matthew Wilson will keep alive a lawsuit by Attorney General Gary King, who’s seeking to permanently block horse slaughter in New Mexico. The lawsuit, if won, could serve as a possible insurance plan in case the federal government provides inspection funding in the future.
“This is the first major hurdle that needed to happen so that a complete federal ban on horse slaughter can now be passed,” said Equine Advocates President, Susan Wagner, “I know I speak for most Americans when I say that horse slaughter is wrong and has no place in our culture.”
“A clear and certain message has been sent by our Law Makers to the miniscule few who want to butcher American horses for an over-seas market,” added R.T. Fitch, president of Wild Horse Freedom Federation, “simply stated, ‘We don’t want your predatory business on American soil!’”
The bi-partisan-sponsored provision to withhold horse slaughter inspection funding was approved by both the House and Senate Ag Appropriations Committees prior to the approval of the president.