Obama Legalizes Horse Slaughter for Human Consumption

About as interesting as the countless times daily that people refer to Obama or any president like he is the king, acting alone. Congress writes the laws, but most American beauty queens have forgotten this. Same goes with Hick.

I wasn't aware that the president could pass bills?

More on this topic:

http://news.yahoo.com/congress-lifts-horse-butchering-ban-good-horses-162640060.html

Because of the ban, the United States had been sending horses to Mexico and Canada to get slaughtered, and The New York Times reports that it's expensive to euthanize and send the horses abroad--which we did to about 138,000 horses last year. As one, mildly xenophobic horse-slaughter expert told The Times, “The Mexicans are getting rich off us ...They’re buying these horses cheap because they can. We have no other options." The AP notes that our hatred of outsourcing our love of job creation is what garnered Congress' support of the bill: "Sen. Max Baucus said the poor economy has resulted in 'sad cases' of horse abandonment and neglect and lifting the ban will give Americans a shot at regaining lost jobs and making sure sick horses aren't abandoned or mistreated." Baucus' slaughter-statement actually echoes what's driving the support of butchering from some surprising (vets and breeders) horse advocates. "A coalition of horse breeders, slaughterhouses, large animal veterinarians and exporters say lifting the ban will create jobs ... and, moreover, cut down on the number of horses abandoned or starved by owners who can no longer afford the upkeep," notes the Star Tribune.

LadyJazzer wrote: I wasn't aware that the president could pass bills?

LJ, he can based on the following definitions of the verb pass:

1. to go un-censured, unchallenged, or seemingly unnoticed
2. to sit in inquest or judgment
3. to render a decision, verdict, or opinion
4. to become legally rendered
5. to become approved by a legislature or body empowered to sanction or reject (body = exec branch, led by pres)
6. to undergo an inspection, test, or course of study successfully
7. to be accepted or regarded
8. to cause or permit to go past or through a barrier

But I know we could split each one of these down the middle too.

Also, without the horse, we would be facing huge increases in the cost of the school lunch programs.

Touche.

Kate wrote: Interesting that the article assigns the responsibility of the bill to the President, yet doesn't do the same to Congress, which wrote and passed the bill.

WRONG AGAIN!!!!
Roll Call Vote on Adoption of Conference Report to Accompany H.R.2112
Nov 17, ’11 6:42 PM
6:41pm The Senate began a roll call vote on adoption of the conference report to accompany H.R.2112, the Agriculture, CJS, and Transportation Appropriations bill. Adopted: 70-30
http://democrats.senate.gov/2011/11/17/roll-call-vote-on-adoption-of-conference-report-to-accompany-h-r-2112/

Senate Vote on Conference Report: H.R. 2112: Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012
Vote Overview
Totals
Democrats - Yea 70 (70%)
Republicans - Nay 30 (30%)
Required: 3/5 of 100 votes (=60 votes)
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=s2011-208

But WHERE PETA??????????


EDITED: you were RIGHT
Sponsor: Rep. Jack Kingston [R-GA1]
Status: This bill has become law. Explanation: It was signed by Barack Obama. [Last Updated: Nov 22, 2011 6:10AM] O passed the House:
Republicans - Yea: 217 (50%)
Democraps - Nay: 203 (47%)
Not Voting: 12 (3%)
Required: Simple Majority of 420 votes (=211 votes)
Senate could have stopped it, they didn't, President didn't have to sign it, he didn't!

What horses are subjected to on their travels to slaughterhouses in Mexico is much less humane TPP. It's always amused me that we assign some animals food status and others pet status on a somewhat arbitrary basis. I've eaten horsemeat (unknowingly). To me it tasted like elk. I like horses, but I like pigs, cows and chickens too.

Doesn't appear that it was ever illegal to slaughter or eat horses (under federal law anyway), the bill simply restored the ability for the USDA to inspect the facilities and oversee the process, which was removed after lobbying by animal rights groups several years ago. Of course, the USDA doesn't currently have the funding to do what they're currently doing, much less take on an expanded role, so we'll see what happens next.

Also important to note that this was but one provision buried in a much bigger bill, I doubt most of the legislators knew or cared about this particular provision in the larger context.

TPP wrote:

Kate wrote: Interesting that the article assigns the responsibility of the bill to the President, yet doesn't do the same to Congress, which wrote and passed the bill.

WRONG AGAIN!!!!
Roll Call Vote on Adoption of Conference Report to Accompany H.R.2112
Nov 17, ’11 6:42 PM
6:41pm The Senate began a roll call vote on adoption of the conference report to accompany H.R.2112, the Agriculture, CJS, and Transportation Appropriations bill. Adopted: 70-30
http://democrats.senate.gov/2011/11/17/roll-call-vote-on-adoption-of-conference-report-to-accompany-h-r-2112/

Senate Vote on Conference Report: H.R. 2112: Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012
Vote Overview
Totals
Democrats - Yea 70 (70%)
Republicans - Nay 30 (30%)
Required: 3/5 of 100 votes (=60 votes)
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=s2011-208

But WHERE PETA??????????


EDITED: you were RIGHT
Sponsor: Rep. Jack Kingston [R-GA1]
Status: This bill has become law. Explanation: It was signed by Barack Obama. [Last Updated: Nov 22, 2011 6:10AM] O passed the House:
Republicans - Yea: 217 (50%)
Democraps - Nay: 203 (47%)
Not Voting: 12 (3%)
Required: Simple Majority of 420 votes (=211 votes)
Senate could have stopped it, they didn't, President didn't have to sign it, he didn't!

When I read the article cited in the first post, it said this:

In a bipartisan effort, the House of Representatives and the United States Senate approved the Conference Committee report on spending bill H2112, which among other things, funds the United States Department of Agriculture. On November 18th, as the country was celebrating Thanksgiving, President Obama signed a law....

Sounds to me like it originated in the Congress and was then signed by the President. Regardless, the Congress and the President are responsible for this law, not just the President, which is what the article (and thread) headline would lead you to believe. That was my point. Neither is singularly culpable - both branches of the Government bear responsibility, not just one.

I have not read the bill, nor do I have any desire to do so, but I will bet that the bill has this horse slaughter-n-eatin part tucked away deep within the pages.

[youtube:17krgha6][/youtube:17krgha6]

Kate wrote: Interesting that the article assigns the responsibility of the bill to the President, yet doesn't do the same to Congress, which wrote and passed the bill.

What's so interesting about that? They did the same thing with Bush and TARP, right? Passed by Congress and signed by the President and with responsibility assigned to the President and not the Congress which wrote and passed the bill. I see no change from the SOP, do you?