Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation Cosponsored by Over 100 Congressmen, Builds Upon Success of Previous Buchanan Bill
Lawmakers Hope to Include SAFE Act in Upcoming Farm Bill
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Vern Buchanan and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) introduced legislation to permanently ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption, the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act. The bill would also prohibit the export of live horses to Mexican and Canadian slaughterhouses to be sold overseas. Companion legislation is being introduced in the Senate by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.).
“The slaughter of horses for human consumption is barbaric and has no place in America,” said Buchanan. “As Co-Chairman of the Animal Protection Caucus, I look forward to continuing to lead this effort with Congresswoman Schakowsky to protect these beautiful creatures.”
“As a former horse owner, I have been a leader in efforts to ban horse slaughter in the United States for many years,” said Rep. Schakowsky. “I am once again partnering with Congressman Vern Buchanan in introducing the SAFE Act to amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to prohibit the slaughter of equines for human consumption, both domestically and abroad. It is beyond time to end this brutal and dangerous practice. Horses are not food. As a proud animal lover, we owe it to our horse companions to protect their welfare.”
“I’m proud to join my colleagues to introduce bipartisan legislation to permanently ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption. Unlike cattle, horses aren’t raised as food animals in the United States,” said Sen. Luján. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this bill to protect our nation’s horses while maintaining support for meat and poultry markets.”
In 2017, Buchanan worked with the late Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) to get the Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act signed into law as part of the 2018 Farm Bill, which made it illegal to slaughter, transport, possess, purchase, sell or donate cats and dogs for human consumption.
The SAFE Act builds upon that legislation by adding horses, donkeys and burros to the prohibition. Although the practice of slaughtering horses for human consumption is currently illegal in the United States, the ban is temporary and subject to annual congressional review and no federal law exists to prohibit the transport of horses across America’s borders for slaughter in Canada or Mexico.
The lawmakers hope to include the SAFE Act as part of the 2025 Farm Bill when it is considered by Congress later this year.
The SAFE Act is cosponsored by over 100 bipartisan members of Congress. The SAFE Act has received the support of the Humane World Action Fund, the ASPCA, the Animal Welfare Institute, the U.S. Harness Racing Alumni Association, the Jockey Club and Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation. Find a full list of cosponsors and supportive quotes HERE.
“The pipeline to slaughter is a death sentence for horses, subjecting them to unimaginable suffering. These majestic animals, who have helped build this nation, are deserving of compassion and kindness, not cruelty. It’s time to end their horrifying journey to slaughter, where many suffer brutal abuse long before they arrive. Horse slaughter for human consumption is an industry that shows a complete disregard for these loyal and noble animals. We call on lawmakers to support Senators Graham and Luján and Representatives Buchanan and Schakowsky in their efforts to pass the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act and put an end to this inhumane practice once and for all,” said Sara Amundson, President, Humane World Action Fund.
“Although the overall decline in American horses being exported for human consumption is a sign of progress, more than 19,000 horses are still being trucked across the border each year as part of the predatory horse slaughter pipeline. This industry needs to be shut down once and for all. We are immensely grateful to Congressman Buchanan, Congresswoman Schakowsky, Senator Graham, and Senator Luján for their outstanding leadership on the SAFE Act and we hope that Congress will move quickly to protect America’s horses from slaughter,” said Susan Millward, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Animal Welfare Institute.
“Despite overwhelming public opposition to horse slaughter, a legal loophole still allows tens of thousands of American horses to be shipped to other countries for slaughter each year. Not only is horse slaughter cruel and unnecessary, but the existence of the slaughter pipeline itself stifles rescue and rehoming efforts, putting equine welfare at risk. Equine industry and animal welfare groups are working daily to solve equine welfare issues on the ground, but we cannot fully succeed while the slaughter pipeline remains open. We are so grateful to Senators Graham and Luján and Representatives Buchanan and Schakowsky for their dedication to starting a new chapter for America’s equines and championing the SAFE Act to secure an end to horse slaughter,” said Nancy Perry, Senior Vice President of Government Relations, ASPCA.
Buchanan, who co-chairs the Animal Protection Caucus in Congress, is a leading advocate for protecting endangered species and ending animal cruelty, introducing and co-sponsoring dozens of important animal measures. In 2024, an amended version of Buchanan’s Honoring Our Heroes with Dignity Act, which requires the Army to resume horse-drawn funeral services at Arlington National cemetery, was passed into law as part of the end-of-year defense spending package. He is also a two-time recipient of the Humane Society’s “Legislator of the Year” award, winning the award in 2015 and 2020.
Read the full bill text HERE.
