Lawmakers cite New World screwworm threat, illegal horse smuggling, and risks posed by cross-border movement of animals
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy today highlighted a new letter from six House Republicans urging President Donald J. Trump to permanently prohibit the export of American horses to Mexico for slaughter, following confirmation of new U.S. animal cases of New World screwworm in Texas.
The lawmakers associate themselves with a June 24 letter led by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., and signed by 16 other House Republicans calling on President Trump to issue an executive order ending exports of American horses to foreign countries for slaughter for human consumption.
The new letter commends the administration for halting the export of horses to Mexico in response to the New World screwworm threat and urges the USDA’s current restriction to be made permanent. The lawmakers note that roughly 20,000 horses were shipped across the southern border for slaughter last year and that much of the resulting meat was exported overseas for human consumption, primarily to Asia.
“We commend your Administration for taking swift action to protect American agriculture from the growing threat of New World Screwworm along our southern border by halting the export of horses to Mexico,” said Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar. “Since New World Screwworm is an ongoing challenge, we believe USDA’s current restriction on exports of horses to Mexico for slaughter should be made permanent.”
“The first confirmed case of New World Screwworm in an American horse should be a wake-up call,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. “President Trump’s decision to halt horse exports to Mexico was an important step, but the threat is not fleeting, and neither should be the policy on long-distance horse movements, especially in the vicinity of the southern border. Allowing long-distance movements of horses is like playing Russian roulette with the American cattle herd in the biggest production states.”
The lawmakers’ letter also argues that permanently ending the exports would be consistent with federal policy toward the sale of dog and cat meat and with the longstanding role of horses in American life. The lawmakers note that horses are valued for sporting competitions, law enforcement, recreation, companionship and therapy for children and veterans, and that American horses are never raised for slaughter.
The new congressional appeal comes as the United States confronts its first confirmed case of New World screwworm in a horse. USDA confirmed the infection in a working ranch horse in Presidio County, Texas, near the Mexican border. Texas authorities subsequently restricted the movement of warm-blooded animals within an infested zone covering portions of Presidio and Jeff Davis counties.
The development also follows a Reuters investigation documenting illegal movement of horses and other animals across remote stretches of the U.S.-Mexico border. Reuters reported that smugglers can bypass veterinary inspection, health certification and quarantine requirements, and that Presidio County authorities intercepted more than 50 smuggled horses over a two-year period. Reuters found no confirmed cases directly linking the smuggled animals to New World screwworm, but the investigation highlighted the potential for illegal animal movement to circumvent disease safeguards.
New World screwworm is a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, causing severe wounds and potentially death. USDA describes the pest as a serious threat to livestock and wildlife and continues surveillance and response efforts along the southern border.
The new letter also points to bipartisan congressional support for permanently ending horse slaughter. H.R. 1661 and S. 775, the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act, has 230 House cosponsors and 10 Senate cosponsors. The Senate bill was led by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham and lawmakers have asked President Trump to halt cross-border movements of horses as a tribute to the popular South Carolina senator.