Late Thursday night, August 2, 2007, the House of Representatives passed the funding bill for the U.S. Department of Agriculture for fiscal year 2008, after removing the overly broad language that was opposed by the horse industry.

When the USDA funding bill was reported out of the House Appropriations Committee two weeks ago, it included language that was intended to apply to slaughter horses. But the provision was so broadly drafted that it also applied to all horses and would have been disastrous for the horse industry.

Section 738 of the bill would have prohibited USDA’s Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service from carrying out all horse health monitoring and regulatory work, including the inspection required to import and export horses. Racing, showing, sales and breeding would have been adversely affected by this provision.

The international and national movement of horses under USDA supervision and oversight will continue without change, thanks to the vigilance and action taken by organizations and individuals from numerous segments of the industry, who contacted U.S. House members to voice their concerns.

The House of Representatives did include language in the final bill that would cut-off funding for USDA activities related to the slaughter of horses. This provision is similar to the one that was included in the USDA appropriations bill passed in the last Congress. Since the amendment is part of an appropriations bill, the funding ban, if it is also passed by the Senate, will last for fiscal year 2008, which extends from October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008.