Horse slaughter

I thank reporter Alex Daugherty for writing an excellent article regarding U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart’s vote on horse slaughter, “Diaz-Balart casts crucial vote that could allow horse slaughter in U.S.”

This is terrible news for American horses and taxpayers. Not only is horse slaughter inhumane, but at a time when President Trump has proposed decreasing the USDA’s annual budget by 21 percent, Congressman Diaz-Balart has decided to focus limited resources and taxpayer dollars on propping up foreign-owned businesses.

Horse slaughter is banned in several states, and there is no American market for horse meat. American horses are not raised as food animals.

Diaz-Balart voted on July 12 to spend hard-earned taxpayer dollars to station USDA inspectors at horse slaughter plants.

Instead of putting this money toward programs that benefit Floridians and taxpayers, we are betraying animals to support foreign businesses.

The thought of horse slaughter returning to the United States, and potentially to Florida, where already people are stealing and butchering our horses, terrifies me.

This story was originally published July 17, 2017 at 7:48 PM with the headline "Horse slaughter."