Animal Welfare Groups Celebrate Committee Passage of the Van Drew-Titus Amendment to Ban Horse Slaughter
The amendment, approved as part of the BUILD America 250 Act, would ban the transportation of horses for slaughter for human consumption in the U.S. and abroadMay 22, 2026
WASHINGTON, DC (May 22, 2026) – By a vote of 34-30, the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed its five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill, which includes a bipartisan amendment led by U.S. Reps. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) and Dina Titus (D-Nev.), joined by Reps. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Jimmy Patronis (R-Fla.), to prohibit the transportation of horses for slaughter for human consumption. Following passage out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the bill moves on to await consideration on the House floor.
According to recent surveys, more than 80% of Americans oppose horse slaughter. The entire process is inherently cruel, subjecting animals to long and dangerous transportation and brutal treatment at slaughterhouses, culminating in ineffective stunning methods that can leave horses conscious during dismemberment. Kill buyers—individuals who purchase equines to turn a profit by selling them to slaughter—prey on healthy horses who could potentially find new homes, making rehoming and rescuing horses more difficult.
The Van Drew-Titus Amendment achieves the same policy goal as the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act (H.R.1661/S.775), which has 230 cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives, and is supported by equine industry groups, as well as leading animal welfare organizations, including the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), and Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation. The amendment’s exact language was also included in the surface transportation reauthorization package that passed the full House of Representatives in the 117th Congress; however, the amendment to include such language in the Senate package was not brought for a vote.
“America’s horses helped build this country. They carried our soldiers into battle, worked our farms, and remain beloved companions to millions of Americans today,” said Congressman Van Drew. “They deserve dignity and humane treatment, not to be packed into dangerous trailers and shipped across our borders for slaughter. I am proud this amendment was included in the final BUILD America 250 Act because it takes an important step toward protecting these animals from unnecessary suffering.”
“As a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am proud to have helped secure a ban on horse slaughter in the Build America 250 Act,” said Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01). “This legislation would end the inhumane practice of horse slaughter for human consumption. These creatures are beloved pets, working partners, and military heroes; they deserve protection, dignity, and compassion.”
“Protecting American horses from slaughter reflects our values as a nation, and I’m proud that my SAFE Act will finally end this inhumane practice permanently,” said Congressman Vern Buchanan. “The SAFE Act moving through the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today is an enormous victory, and I’m grateful for the support of advocates across the country who have helped make this a reality. But we’re not done yet—I will keep pushing forward to get the SAFE Act signed into law.”
“As a former horse owner and long-time animal lover, I have been proud to champion the fight against horse slaughter for decades,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “I am grateful for the efforts of Rep. Titus, Rep. Van Drew, and others for their work on this amendment, and for Rep. Buchanan, who has worked with me to introduce legislation each Congress to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption once and for all. I also want to credit all the animal welfare advocates who are with us each step of the way pushing and making progress on this important issue. Let’s keep up the fight, get this over the finish line, and finally close the door on the practice of horse slaughter.”
“Despite overwhelming public opposition to horse slaughter and Congressional efforts that shuttered horse slaughterhouses on U.S. soil in 2007, a legal loophole still allows tens of thousands of American horses to be shipped to other countries for slaughter each year. Not only is horse slaughter cruel and unnecessary, but the existence of the slaughter pipeline itself stifles rescue and rehoming efforts, putting equine welfare at risk,” said Nancy Perry, senior vice president of Government Relations for the ASPCA. “Equine industry and animal welfare groups are working daily to solve equine welfare issues on the ground, but we cannot fully succeed while the slaughter pipeline remains open. The passage of the Van Drew-Titus Amendment brings us one step closer to a permanent ban on horse slaughter, and we urge Congress to ensure the final transportation bill retains this critical language to protect American horses and end this cruelty once and for all.”
“Americans cherish horses; no one wants to see these majestic and loyal companions meet a brutal end. And yet, each year, tens of thousands of American horses—from ex-racehorses to lesson ponies—are trucked across our borders to be butchered for meat,” said Dr. Joanna Grossman, equine program director for the Animal Welfare Institute. “Including language that would prohibit the transport of horses to slaughter in the surface transportation package could finally end this gruesome and unnecessary practice once and for all. We are grateful to Reps. Van Drew, Titus, Burchett, and Patronis for leading this effort in Committee and to Reps. Buchanan and Schakowsky for their longstanding commitment to protecting our horses. We urge Congress to bring this widely supported measure to the finish line.”
“Wild horses that once roamed freely on our public lands, pets, racehorses, work horses — no American horse deserves to be shipped to an inhumane death in a foreign slaughterhouse,” said Neda DeMayo, president of Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation. “Horse slaughter is wholly un-American and needs to end once and for all. Thank you to Reps. Van Drew, Titus, Burchett, Patronis, and everyone on the Committee who recognized the will of the American people, who overwhelmingly oppose horse slaughter, by voting for this important bipartisan amendment.”
“As a long time and active supporter of the SAFE Act, The Jockey Club is encouraged to see an amendment to the House Transportation bill now includes the provisions to make it illegal under federal law to transport horses for slaughter,” said Jim Gagliano, president of The Jockey Club. “We join with the many other supporters of the SAFE Act in urging congress to now pass this important act that will protect Thoroughbreds in the United States.”
“The NTRA is very happy to see language included in the Transportation and Infrastructure Reauthorization that would keep horses in the U.S. safe and unable to be shipped out of the country for slaughter,” said Tom Rooney, president and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). “Horses in our care are world-class athletes, and it is imperative that we take care of them even when their racing days are over. This language safeguards our equine partners from any harmful loopholes. We would like to thank all our partners in Washington and across the country for helping to get this done.”
“Protecting these horses requires industries, advocates, and lawmakers willing to confront difficult issues directly,” said Aidan Butler, President of 1/ST. “This action by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee marks meaningful progress toward lasting protections for America's horses, and 1/ST is proud to stand alongside the Lost Horses campaign, bipartisan lawmakers, and the broader racing and equine community to help drive that change forward.”
“After going undercover into the slaughter pipeline, I witnessed firsthand the fear and suffering these horses endure, which compelled me to create The Lost Horses campaign and ignite a national cinematic spotlight on this issue,” said Ashley Avis, founder of the Wild Beauty Foundation and The Lost Horses campaign. “Through storytelling combined with advocacy, we are proud to stand alongside organizations, individuals, and industries to finally close this loophole and end a system that has operated in the shadows for far too long.”
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About the ASPCA®
The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) believes every animal deserves to live free from suffering. For more than 160 years, we’ve been on the frontlines to save, transform and protect millions of lives in the fight against animal cruelty. As the nation’s first and leading animal welfare organization, we assist animals in need through on-the-ground disaster and cruelty interventions, behavioral rehabilitation, animal relocation and placement, legal and legislative advocacy, and the advancement of the sheltering and veterinary communities through research, training and resources. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation with more than 2 million supporters nationwide, our commitment to eliminating animal cruelty is unwavering. For more information visit aspca.org, and follow the ASPCA on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.
About AWI
The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people. We seek to improve the welfare of animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for updates and other important animal protection news.
About RTF
Return to Freedom, Wild Horse Conservation (RTF) is a pioneering wild horse conservation organization focused on the preservation of wild horses and burros since 1997. RTF operates the American Wild Horse Sanctuary at two California locations, caring for nearly 500 rescued mustangs and burros in bonded family bands and social groups. The sanctuary hosts experiential learning in nature's classroom and models holistic regenerative grazing and minimally intrusive management solutions that can be implemented on the range as an alternative to traumatic and costly roundups. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, BlueSky, TikTok and Youtube.
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