'The Ultimate Washington Hypocrisy' and Flim-Flam

Days After President Bush Signs the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005 (HR 4818) Opening the Door for the Slaughter of Thousands of Wild Horses and Burros, December 13, 2004 Is Set as the 'National Day of the Horse'

GLENDALE, Calif., Dec. 9, 2004 -- Just when you thought you had seen it all in Washington, something happens that just leaves you shaking your head in disbelief.

On September 30, 2004, the House of Representatives in a concurrent resolution with the Senate, declared December 13, 2004 as a National Day of the Horse.

H. CON. RES. 507 acknowledges that "the horse is a vital part of the collective experience of the United States" and, that without the horse, "the economy, history, and character of the United States would be profoundly different." The resolution goes on to encourage all citizens to be mindful of the contribution of the horses to the U.S. and issued a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe the National Day of the Horse.

Two months later however, on November 19, this same group of lawmakers sent to President Bush for his signature, HR 4818, which allows wild horses and burros to be sent to slaughter. Approximately 14,000 wild horses currently held by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will go to slaughter immediately.

"This is the ultimate Washington hypocrisy," stated Leo Grillo, founder of Horse Rescue of America. "You have to ask yourself, does Congress really know what they are doing? In September they celebrate the horse as a 'living link' to the history of the U.S. and then two months later, sentence the wild horses to death!"

Wild horses and burros have been protected since 1971 by the "Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act" which declared that wild horses and burros "are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West" and are a protected National Heritage Species. Last week however, Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT) slipped an 11th hour rider into the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005 (HR 4818), allowing BLM to sell wild free roaming horses and burros at livestock auctions, effectively sending these previously protected animals to the slaughterhouse. The president signed HR 4818 into law on December 8, 2004.

Footage of a wild horse roundup and more information on what HR 4818 means to the wild horse and burro population of the U.S. can be found at http://www.horserescueofamerica.com.

Contact:
Elizabeth Kollar
310-545-8987
505-401-9203 cell

Source: Horse Rescue of America