DeLauro Responds to Reports USDA Will Approve Horse Slaughter Facility

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) released the following statement today regarding reports the Department of Agriculture (USDA) will have to approve federal inspection at a horse slaughter facility in New Mexico. DeLauro, former chair of the subcommittee responsible for funding the USDA, authored a provision prohibiting federal funds for the inspection of such facilities in the United States. Upon taking over the House majority in 2011, Republicans ended that prohibition. “Congress needs to reinstate the provision I authored that would prohibit inspection of horse slaughter facilities in the United States. Beginning today, food inspection services by the USDA will suffer the same indiscriminate budget cuts as the rest of the federal government. The Administration has said they will have to furlough inspectors. The last thing we should be doing is adding additional inspection responsibilities. I looking forward to questioning USDA officials about this when they testify before the Appropriations Committee.”