Statement from American Wild Horse Campaign After House Rules Committee Votes Popular Anti-Mustang Slaughter Amendment "Out of Order"

Washington, DC (September 7, 2017) ...  Suzanne Roy, Executive Director of The American Wild Horse Campaign, issued the following statement this morning on last night’s decision by the House Rules Committee, passed on a party line vote, preventing introduction of an amendment to protect wild horses in 2018 appropriations language about to be considered by the House:

“Last night, the House Rules Committee defied the overwhelming will of the American people by voting to send almost a 100,000 healthy wild horses to their graves using taxpayer funds. The majority members of the committee voted to block an amendment supported by 80% of Americans to stop the slaughter of America’s wild horses.

Protecting America’s wild horses has bipartisan support, but the Rules Committee instead chose to side with the special interests, horse slaughterers, and their allies to block discussion and voting on this issue

We want to thank Rep. Dina Titus for her leadership in offering this amendment, Reps. Peter King and Carlos Curbelo for adding bipartisan support. Special thanks to Rep. Jared Polis for his efforts to get his colleagues on the record about whether they support the wholesale slaughter of America’s wild horses, or whether they support commonsense, humane, and effective solutions to managing these iconic animals in the wild.

Attention now turns to the Senate, where we are hopeful that the strong and bipartisan desire of the American people to protect these national icons will be honored.”

Discussion of the amendment and the vote can be seen herePolling shows that Americans of all political stripes overwhelmingly support protecting America's iconic mustangs and oppose the Interior Department's plan to kill tens of thousands of these cherished animals. 

The American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) (formerly known as the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign) is dedicated to preserving the American wild horse in viable, free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heritage. Its grassroots mission is endorsed by a coalition of more than 60 horse advocacy, humane and public interest organizations.