Smith Urges GAO to Issue Overdue Report on Horse Processing

June 21, 2011:

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) today sent a letter to the Comptroller General of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) urging the agency to issue its overdue report on the 2007 horse processing ban, specifically regarding the ban’s effects on the welfare of horses and the farm economy.

"The economic impact of the horse processing ban is harmful to people across the Third District," Smith said. "Giving processing plants the opportunity to reopen at absolutely no cost to taxpayers would re-establish a multi-billion dollar, revenue-generating, jobs-creating industry and strengthen a struggling horse industry. A great deal of misinformation remains about responsible horse management, so a fair and balanced report from the GAO will provide the opportunity to educate Members of Congress about the adverse impact of this ban before any further votes are taken on the issue."
The study was originally requested more than a year and a half ago by the Senate Appropriations Committee in the Fiscal Year 2010 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.