Salazar Advocates to end slaughter of American Horses

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27) led a letter, with several of her colleagues, to President Trump and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requesting they end the practice of American horses being sold for slaughter and consumption abroad.  

Specifically, this letter asks the President to issue an Executive Order to end exports of American horse meat for consumption. While the U.S. has effectively banned horse slaughter in the U.S., as well as the import of horse meat from other countries, there is no ban on exports from the U.S. Therefore, American horses can be purchased and sent abroad to countries like Mexico where they are killed and sold for meat. In this instance, the trafficking of horses threatens American agriculture, as there has been a growing threat of New World Screwworm across the southern border. 

“These horses carried our pioneers, served beside our soldiers, and gave us their loyalty without asking for anything in return, and yet we still allow them to be slaughtered for meat. It is time to end this cruelty once and for all.” Rep. Salazar.

“We are grateful for Congresswoman Salazar’s steadfast commitment to animal protection and for helping to bar the transport of American horses for slaughter to Mexico for human consumption,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. “We don’t allow the slaughter of American horses on U.S. soil, so should we allow them to be butchered south of our border?”

The Congresswoman has been a champion in the animal welfare space throughout her time in Congress, authoring the Neotropical Birds of the Americas Conservation Enhancements Act which protects migratory birds in the Everglades, Great Lakes, and all across America. This bill was signed into law in 2024.

Additionally, she supports numerous additional initiatives to protect animals, including:

• The SAFE Act, which permanently prohibits horse slaughter in the United States.
   
• The Manatee Protection Act, which upgrades the status of the West Indian manatee from "threatened" to "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act.
   
• The FIGHT Act, which strengthens enforcement against illegal dogfighting and cockfighting operations.
   
• Goldie’s Act, which strengthens USDA oversight of commercial breeding facilities and puppy mills.
   
• The Better Care for Animals Act, which strengthens enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act. 
   
• The Puppy Protection Act, which raises standards for commercial dog breeders licensed by the USDA.
   

Salazar was joined by Representatives Tom Kean (NJ-07), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Young Kim (CA-40), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), and Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13). The full letter can be viewed here.