The SAFE Act 2023-2024
The Save America's Forgotten Equines Act
H.R. 3475 & S. 2037
The Save America's Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act would expand the Dog and Cat Meat Prohibition Act passed in the 2018 Farm Bill to include the word 'equines', permanently protecting American horses from slaughter
H.R. 3475 in the House of Representatives:
To amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to prohibit the slaughter of equines for human consumption. To read the entire bill at congress.gov, click here. Go here to find out who your Representative is: www.house.gov/representatives
S. 2037 in the Senate:
A bill to amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to prohibit the slaughter of equines for human consumption
UPDATES AND REQUIRED ACTIONS NEEDED NOW:
It’s September 4, 2024, and time is quickly running out for the SAFE Act for the 2023-2024 legislative session. The bill must be passed and signed into law by December 31, 2024 or we will have to start all over again in 2025. So far in the House, 227 members are supporting the bill which is enough to put it to a vote on the Floor.
In the Senate, we still only have 11 co sponsors and we need at least 51.
Right now in the House of Representatives, the SAFE Act was removed as an amendment in the Farm Bill. Getting support from the members of the Agriculture Committee is vital at this point!
If your US Representative is NOT a co sponsor, then they NEED to hear from you ASAP! At this point, phone calls and letters/emails and desperately needed.
I have a packet of relevant information that you can print and mail to your US Representative and both US Senators - but only to those who are not co sponsoring the bill(s). This packet is what convinced my Rep, Jill Tokuda, to sign on to co sponsor the SAFE Act! You simply print the pages, fill in your legislators name and mailing address and sign the letter with your contact information. Then mail it to both the legislators DC office address and their local state office address. You can get this information on your Rep or Senators websites. If you would like a copy of the packet you can email me at kaya97524@yahoo.com If you are on my email list already, I sent it out on May 1st.
Do NOT mention wild horse roundups when contacting your legislators about the SAFE Act; these are two different legislative issues and if you combine them, it will be too confusing for legislators.
When you call your Representative (Senator script is below), your script is simple: “I am calling today to ask Representative ___________________ to immediately co sponsor bill H.R. 3475 The SAFE Act of 2023: ‘To amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to prohibit the slaughter of equines for human consumption.’ This issue is very important to me, my family, and my fellow constituents in your district. Thank you, (your name)”
If your Rep or Senator is up for reelection this year, you can also mention that he/she will not receive your vote unless they support the SAFE Act this year.
For your Representatives, you can see who is sponsoring the bill here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3475/cosponsors?s=1&r=1&q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22hr3475%22%7D
For your Senators, you can see who is sponsoring the bill here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/2037/cosponsors?s=2&r=1&q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22S2037%22%7D
If your Senators (you have 2 of them) are not yet sponsoring the Senate version of the SAFE Act, bill S. 2037 SAFE Act of 2023, please call and write to them today as well! I have a version of the letter packet for your Senators as well. Here is the script for calling your 2 US Senators:
“I am calling today to ask Senator ___________________ to immediately co sponsor bill S.2037 the SAFE Act of 2023: ‘To amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to prohibit the slaughter of equines for human consumption.’ This issue is very important to me, my family, and my fellow constituents in your district. Thank you, (your name)”
One of the reasons some legislators are not supporting the bill is because they wonder what will happen to all the horses currently being shipped to slaughter. Where will the horses go, who will take care of them? Passing the SAFE Act will force backyard breeders (including the Amish) to stop breeding horses and burros for the sole purpose of dropping them at auction pens to make a few dollars. Passing the SAFE Act will also eventually force the racing and other horse related industries to stop overbreeding. You can also mention that the shipping of American equines is a cruel and inhumane process resulting in immense pain and suffering for the horses, burros, and mules. In addition, horse meat is NOT safe for human or pet consumption. Equines are given all sorts of medications including wormers and yearly vaccinations that are not safe for humans or domestic pets to consume.
I would like to thank AWE for their hard work on the SAFE Act and for putting together some of the documents I have in the packets for you to mail to your Rep and Senators. Legislation only gets passed when we make our voices heard - let’s do that now for our beloved American equines, both domestic and wild. It’s way past time for Congress to pass the SAFE Act!
H.R. 3475 in the House of Representatives:
To amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to prohibit the slaughter of equines for human consumption. To read the entire bill at congress.gov, click here. Go here to find out who your Representative is: www.house.gov/representatives
S. 2037 in the Senate:
A bill to amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to prohibit the slaughter of equines for human consumption
UPDATES AND REQUIRED ACTIONS NEEDED NOW:
It’s September 4, 2024, and time is quickly running out for the SAFE Act for the 2023-2024 legislative session. The bill must be passed and signed into law by December 31, 2024 or we will have to start all over again in 2025. So far in the House, 227 members are supporting the bill which is enough to put it to a vote on the Floor.
In the Senate, we still only have 11 co sponsors and we need at least 51.
Right now in the House of Representatives, the SAFE Act was removed as an amendment in the Farm Bill. Getting support from the members of the Agriculture Committee is vital at this point!
If your US Representative is NOT a co sponsor, then they NEED to hear from you ASAP! At this point, phone calls and letters/emails and desperately needed.
I have a packet of relevant information that you can print and mail to your US Representative and both US Senators - but only to those who are not co sponsoring the bill(s). This packet is what convinced my Rep, Jill Tokuda, to sign on to co sponsor the SAFE Act! You simply print the pages, fill in your legislators name and mailing address and sign the letter with your contact information. Then mail it to both the legislators DC office address and their local state office address. You can get this information on your Rep or Senators websites. If you would like a copy of the packet you can email me at kaya97524@yahoo.com If you are on my email list already, I sent it out on May 1st.
Do NOT mention wild horse roundups when contacting your legislators about the SAFE Act; these are two different legislative issues and if you combine them, it will be too confusing for legislators.
When you call your Representative (Senator script is below), your script is simple: “I am calling today to ask Representative ___________________ to immediately co sponsor bill H.R. 3475 The SAFE Act of 2023: ‘To amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to prohibit the slaughter of equines for human consumption.’ This issue is very important to me, my family, and my fellow constituents in your district. Thank you, (your name)”
If your Rep or Senator is up for reelection this year, you can also mention that he/she will not receive your vote unless they support the SAFE Act this year.
For your Representatives, you can see who is sponsoring the bill here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3475/cosponsors?s=1&r=1&q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22hr3475%22%7D
For your Senators, you can see who is sponsoring the bill here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/2037/cosponsors?s=2&r=1&q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22S2037%22%7D
If your Senators (you have 2 of them) are not yet sponsoring the Senate version of the SAFE Act, bill S. 2037 SAFE Act of 2023, please call and write to them today as well! I have a version of the letter packet for your Senators as well. Here is the script for calling your 2 US Senators:
“I am calling today to ask Senator ___________________ to immediately co sponsor bill S.2037 the SAFE Act of 2023: ‘To amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to prohibit the slaughter of equines for human consumption.’ This issue is very important to me, my family, and my fellow constituents in your district. Thank you, (your name)”
One of the reasons some legislators are not supporting the bill is because they wonder what will happen to all the horses currently being shipped to slaughter. Where will the horses go, who will take care of them? Passing the SAFE Act will force backyard breeders (including the Amish) to stop breeding horses and burros for the sole purpose of dropping them at auction pens to make a few dollars. Passing the SAFE Act will also eventually force the racing and other horse related industries to stop overbreeding. You can also mention that the shipping of American equines is a cruel and inhumane process resulting in immense pain and suffering for the horses, burros, and mules. In addition, horse meat is NOT safe for human or pet consumption. Equines are given all sorts of medications including wormers and yearly vaccinations that are not safe for humans or domestic pets to consume.
I would like to thank AWE for their hard work on the SAFE Act and for putting together some of the documents I have in the packets for you to mail to your Rep and Senators. Legislation only gets passed when we make our voices heard - let’s do that now for our beloved American equines, both domestic and wild. It’s way past time for Congress to pass the SAFE Act!
Why are there two bills?
One of the bills has been introduced in the House of Representatives, and the other bill has been introduced in the Senate. This can complicate things. In short, each bill will need to get enough cosponsors and be put to a vote to pass. Then the two bills will need to be combined to make just one version, with every t crossed and every i dotted in the exact same way.
The SAFE Act, in different versions, has been introduced multiple times in Congress and in 20 years has never been passed. Now is the time! But it will take you, the people, to make your voices heard and to ask your US Representative and both of your Senators to cosponsor the bill today. These bills are the federal level, not your state level.
There are 2 bills and three phone calls for you to make:
1) Your US Representative. Your script: "I am calling Rep ________ today to ask him/her to cosponsor H.R. 3475 the SAFE Act and support a ban on horse slaughter in the upcoming Farm Bill. Thank you."
2) Each of your US Senators for your state. Your script: "I am calling today to ask Senator _________ to support the SAFE Act S 2037, to protect our American equines from slaughter. Thank you."
Don't know who your US Rep or Senators are? Call 202.224.3121 and the switchboard will help you or go to https://www.congress.gov/members
Once you make the calls, then go to each of their websites and use their Contact Me pages to email them the same message, changing the word 'calling' to 'writing'.
Do not mention wild horse roundups in these calls or emails. It will confuse the issue. Be calm, mature, and professional when making phone calls to legislators. No swearing or threatening remarks should be made. You want to develop a relationship with your legislators offices and staff, not be known as a crazy activist whose calls they will refuse to take or listen to. This bill is meant to protect all American equines including domestic & wild horses, burros, & mules. Talking about wild horse roundups & AIP (Adoption Incentive Program) will only confuse your Rep/Senators. Stay on point!
• It's up to us to get the SAFE Act H.R. 3475 passed, by continually calling our US Representatives until they cosponsor the bill. Once they do, call and thank him/her!
• The H.R. in front of the bill number means this bill is in the House of Representatives, not the Senate. Only call your US Representative about this bill number. The S in front of the bill number means the bill is in the Senate; only call your US Senators on this bill.
• Always use the bill number & title when calling your Rep to support a bill, in this case always say: H.R. 3475 The SAFE ACT
These bills WILL NOT pass without you, the public, making the calls.
The graphics below can be found on the Save Our Wild Horses FB and Instagram pages for you to share.
One of the bills has been introduced in the House of Representatives, and the other bill has been introduced in the Senate. This can complicate things. In short, each bill will need to get enough cosponsors and be put to a vote to pass. Then the two bills will need to be combined to make just one version, with every t crossed and every i dotted in the exact same way.
The SAFE Act, in different versions, has been introduced multiple times in Congress and in 20 years has never been passed. Now is the time! But it will take you, the people, to make your voices heard and to ask your US Representative and both of your Senators to cosponsor the bill today. These bills are the federal level, not your state level.
There are 2 bills and three phone calls for you to make:
1) Your US Representative. Your script: "I am calling Rep ________ today to ask him/her to cosponsor H.R. 3475 the SAFE Act and support a ban on horse slaughter in the upcoming Farm Bill. Thank you."
2) Each of your US Senators for your state. Your script: "I am calling today to ask Senator _________ to support the SAFE Act S 2037, to protect our American equines from slaughter. Thank you."
Don't know who your US Rep or Senators are? Call 202.224.3121 and the switchboard will help you or go to https://www.congress.gov/members
Once you make the calls, then go to each of their websites and use their Contact Me pages to email them the same message, changing the word 'calling' to 'writing'.
Do not mention wild horse roundups in these calls or emails. It will confuse the issue. Be calm, mature, and professional when making phone calls to legislators. No swearing or threatening remarks should be made. You want to develop a relationship with your legislators offices and staff, not be known as a crazy activist whose calls they will refuse to take or listen to. This bill is meant to protect all American equines including domestic & wild horses, burros, & mules. Talking about wild horse roundups & AIP (Adoption Incentive Program) will only confuse your Rep/Senators. Stay on point!
• It's up to us to get the SAFE Act H.R. 3475 passed, by continually calling our US Representatives until they cosponsor the bill. Once they do, call and thank him/her!
• The H.R. in front of the bill number means this bill is in the House of Representatives, not the Senate. Only call your US Representative about this bill number. The S in front of the bill number means the bill is in the Senate; only call your US Senators on this bill.
• Always use the bill number & title when calling your Rep to support a bill, in this case always say: H.R. 3475 The SAFE ACT
These bills WILL NOT pass without you, the public, making the calls.
The graphics below can be found on the Save Our Wild Horses FB and Instagram pages for you to share.
|
|
As of January 2, 2024, the SAFE Act HR 3475 has 213 cosponsors in the House of Representatives and the SAFE Act of 2023, bill S.2037 still has just 11 cosponsors in the Senate.
You can go here to see if your Rep is already cosponsoring the SAFE Act HR 3475 https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3475/cosponsors?s=1&r=6
You can go here to see if your Rep is already cosponsoring the SAFE Act HR 3475 https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3475/cosponsors?s=1&r=6