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Representative James Moran needs your help to get H.R. 503 to a vote in the House!

U.S. Representative James Moran is circulating the letter set out below to all members of the House of Representatives for their signature. Once signatures have been gathered, Rep. Moran and members of the House of Representatives will present the letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. The letter calls on Speaker Pelosi to bring the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, H.R. 503, to a vote by the full House of Representatives immediately.
Equine Welfare Alliance and Animal Law Coalition urge you to call on your U.S. representative to sign this letter now! 
Visit this site to find the name and contact information for your U.S. representative in Washington:
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/   You can also call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or TOLL-FREE 1-877-762-8762 and ask for your U.S. representative.  The letter must be signed by Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010. It is best to call or fax your representative. Tell your representative that you urge him or her to sign on as a co-sponsor and contact Rep. Moran and sign the letter calling on Speaker Pelosi to schedule a vote on the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, H.R. 503. Be sure to tell your representative that you live in his or her district and ask for a copy of the letter with your representative's signature!  Go here to find out if your rep is already a co-sponsor and, if so, urge him or her to sign the letter!
 http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d111:1:./temp/~bdMUeg:@@@P|/home/LegislativeData.php|
H.R. 503 will put an end to the slaughter of American horses.  Only a federal law can stop this tragedy. As John Holland, founder and president of Equine Welfare Alliance, put it, "Horse slaughter is not a 'necessary evil', as the industry claims, it is simply evil.  Now is our opportunity to resign this practice to the dust bin of American history."   Find a copy of the bill here: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.503:
On behalf of Equine Welfare Alliance and Animal Law Coalition, we thank you for the difference you are making for the horses.
___________________________________________
Following is a copy of the letter:
September xx, 2010


The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Office of the Speaker of the House
H-232, The U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515


Dear Madame Speaker:


We write to you in strong support of the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503), legislation to ban the slaughter of American horses for human consumption and prevent the export of live horses for the same purpose. With 183 bipartisan cosponsors in the House, 28 in the Senate, and tremendous public support, we urge you to allow this bill a vote in the House.
Equine slaughter is inhumane by nature. Horses have a fractious reaction to the stress induced by chutes, kill boxes, puntilla knives and captive bolt stun systems, causing these animals to suffer immensely and die an inhumane death. These animals are subjected to brutal transport conditions on their way to slaughter facilities. In addition, the consumption of horsemeat poses a serious public health threat as this meat contains substances banned for human consumption by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Since 2005, Congress has repeatedly voted to shut down the cruel practice of horse slaughter and included appropriations language to defund the USDA inspection of horses and horsemeat as a stopgap measure until a permanent federal ban is passed. The last three horse slaughter plants on U.S. soil were closed by enforcement of state law in Texas and a recently enacted ban on horse slaughter in Illinois. As you know, California overwhelmingly banned horse slaughter over a decade ago, and the state legislature just passed a resolution in favor of passing the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act.
Still, American horses continue to be sent over the border for human consumption. Since January of this year, approximately 53,850 horses have been transported across our nation's borders into the cruelty of slaughter in Mexico and Canada. This number amounts to about 100,000 horses annually, 1,500 per week, or one every five minutes.
As cosponsors of H.R. 503, we, along with millions of Americans and animal protection organizations such as the Animal Welfare Institute and the Humane Society of the United States, urge you to bring this bill to the House floor for a vote.
Thank you in advance for your consideration of this critical legislation.
Best regards,
(U.S. Rep._______________)