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All Posts Tagged Tag: ‘congress’

The latest update

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We Won in the Senate … Now What?

Monday’s news that the Senate Appropriations Committee has maintained protections for wild horses against killing and slaughter was a major positive development in the fight to protect wild horses and burros from Interior Secretary Zinke’s plan to destroy tens of thousands of these iconic animals in holding and on the range. But the fight’s not over yet. Here’s what’s next and what you can do.

BLM Continues to Round Up Wild Horses as their Fate Hangs in Balance

As the BLM waits to hear whether Congress will grant its request to kill tens of thousands of wild horses and burros in holding facilities, the agency is moving ahead with a handful of roundups. In a new twist, captured horses are being taken directly to private holding facilities, where the public is unable to see them to identify captured horses or ascertain their condition. Read more about the roundup pending in Utah next week and the one just completed in Nevada by clicking below.

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Contact Congress TODAY

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The following is from the American Horse Council:

As Congress continues to negotiate a final spending package for FY2018, the horse industry and its allies have an opportunity to assure that lawmakers include H-2B guest worker visa relief in the final bill.   Federal lawmakers must address this issue prior to the expiration of the FY2017 appropriations measure, which occurs on December 8This creates a three week window to contact your elected officials in Washington and tell them you need common-sense, guest worker visa flexibility. 

Please contact your federal lawmakers today! By clicking on the TAKE ACTION button below, you can urge them to support any provision that will provide H-2B visa cap relief within the context of FY2018 appropriations bills.

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If you don’t speak up for Mustangs, who will?

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

While we fight to save our humane mustang management program in Nevada, we cannot lose sight of the national issue.

With Senate appropriations delayed and the timeline still uncertain, now isn’t the time to take a rest. Our opposition isn’t.

Already, dozens of our supporters have recorded video messages to Congress. We created a heartfelt ad with your submissions — you can watch it now and then record your own!

Our video tool lets you easily record a short video on your phone or laptop. It won’t take more than a few minutes, and the video will be sent directly to your members of Congress.

We know you’ll have plenty to say but a few points we hope you’ll include:

  • Congress must maintain the longstanding prohibition on destroying healthy wild horses and burros and oppose any effort that would open the door to slaughter.
  • 80% of Americans oppose the slaughter of America’s wild horses.
  • The PZP birth control vaccine is a scientifically-proven, low-cost alternative that can used to humanely manage wild populations and maintain their wild free-roaming behaviors.

So record your own video now. It’s really easy. It’ll take just a few minutes of your time. And it will help us cut through the clutter in Washington and be heard on this critical issue.

For the horses,

Grace Kuhn

P.s. Camera shy? You can support us and help get ads like this up by donating here.

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GOP, Equine Industry Canter Toward Tax Reform

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The following is from the American Horse Council:

GOP, Equine Industry Canter Toward Tax Reform

The equine industry and its partners in the agriculture and small business sectors continue to engage Congress and the Administration on key elements of the GOP’s “unified framework for tax reform,” released on September 27.  While the framework outlines broad themes for reform, AHC and its partners are focusing efforts on repeal of the estate tax, also known as the “death tax,” as a pillar for a 21st century tax code.  Below are summaries of tactics used to move the legislative process forward, and highlights from conversations with congressional and administration officials.

Congress Hears from Small Business, Agriculture
On September 12 – two weeks prior to release of the GOP framework – AHC joined nearly 150 small business groups in a coalition letter to congressional leadership urging full repeal of the estate tax.  When the government imposes estate taxes on an equine operation, surviving family partners may be forced to sell equipment and other assets to save the family business.  Signatories represent a cross-section of American business, including builders and contractors, grocers, truckers and cattlemen.  Advocates emphasized the fact that repeal of the estate tax would not only cost the treasury relatively little revenue in the short term, but ultimately increase tax revenues by $145 billion over a ten year period.  Underscoring minimal, short-term impacts on the federal budget is crucial to moving tax reform through the budget reconciliation process, which requires Congress to demonstrate that the new and improved tax code will ultimately achieve deficit reduction.

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What’s your reason?

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Today, we’re launching a new effort to convince Congress to maintain the longstanding prohibition on the destruction and slaughter of healthy wild horses and burros. We’ve called. We’ve emailed. Now, let’s send a personal video message about why we’re fighting to protect these national icons.

With our new video tool you can easily record a short video that will be sent directly to your members of Congress. I just recorded mine — watch it now and then record your own.

We know you’ll have plenty to say but a few points we hope you’ll include:

  • Congress must maintain the longstanding prohibition on destroying healthy wild horses and burros and oppose any effort that would open the door to slaughter.
  • 80% of Americans oppose the slaughter of America’s wild horses.
  • The PZP birth control vaccine is a scientifically-proven, low-cost alternative that can used to humanely manage wild populations and maintain their wild free-romaning behaviors.

So record your own video now. It’s really easy. It’ll take just a few minutes of your time. And it will help us cut through the clutter in Washington and be heard on this critical issue.

For the horses,

Grace Kuhn

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Guest Worker Visa Reform Gains Momentum

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The following is from the American Horse Council:

Guest Worker Visa Reform Gains Momentum, Tell Congress to Finish the Job!

Status update:

On September 15, the House of Representatives passed a $1.2 trillion funding bill for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 that will serve as a benchmark for negotiations with the Senate on a final package.  Congress must negotiate a final bill by December 8, when the current continuing resolution (CR) to fund federal programs at FY2017 levels will expire.  While the equine industry and its allies have taken an important first step by inserting some H-2B visa reform measures within the text of the current House spending bill (such as wage-survey flexibility), the fight to insert broader visa cap relief in a final spending bill continues.

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AHC News-Summer 2017

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The following is from the American Horse Council:

Congress Must Address Federal Funding Before Moving to Major Agenda Items

As Congress returns from their August recess, they will immediately consider a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the federal government beyond September 30, which marks the end of the current fiscal year

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Townhall Time

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Friend –

Where does your member of Congress stand on protecting wild horses? If you don’t know, now’s the time to find out. And if they’re supporting slaughter, now is the time to change their mind. Votes are expected in September that may decide the fate of American wild horses.

Take action right now while your member of Congress is home for August recess:

1) Find out if your member is holding a town hall: https://townhallproject.com/

If they are, please attend and ask them if they will stop any attempts towards the slaughter, euthanasia, or destruction of healthy wild horses. If they answer, make sure to let us know their answer: contact@americanwildhorsecampaign.org.

2) No town hall? Call your member’s district (not Washington D.C.) officeand ask them if you can schedule a meeting with your congressperson or legislative aide. You can find the number for your congressperson here. And you can look up talking points here. Be sure to email us if you schedule a meeting!

3) In addition to meeting in-person, make sure to keep calling and emailing. You can use our tool here to get in touch now.

Keep up the pressure! #NoHorseSlaughter #NoRecessForHorses!

– Grace Kuhn

P.S. There are just 4 days left to get your limited edition #ImWithTheBand apparel! New items have just been added!

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Congress Continues to Promote Land Access

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The following is from the American Horse Council:

On July 26, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) introduced the “Recreation Not Red-Tape Act (RNR)” (S. 1633, H.R. 3400), legislation that expands the scope of the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act (PL 114-245), signed into law in late 2016.  While the RNR focuses on streamlined permitting to access public lands, the bill includes provisions that would authorize the Department of the Interior, through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), to enter into cooperative agreements with private parties to promote the role of volunteers in trail maintenance.  The bill also authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and BLM to develop an interagency trail management plan that will assure uniform maintenance standards for trails crossing jurisdictional lines between the two agencies.

The Trails Act outlines a detailed program including goals and timetables by which the USDA will leverage private partners to clear trails long overdue for maintenance.  Unlike the RNR Act, which applies to both the BLM and USDA’s National Forest System (NFS), the Trails Act focuses only on trails under the jurisdiction of the NFS.

Chairman Bishop and Sen. Wyden worked closely on the bill to emphasize key issues – especially outdoor recreation permit streamlining – that will likely attract bipartisan support.  GOP staff with the House Natural Resources Committee, which is the committee of jurisdiction for federal land issues, are encouraging AHC and allies to help drive cosponsors for the legislation, which currently has none.  Committee staff also state that the Subcommittee on Federal Lands will conduct a markup in late September or October, giving members the opportunity to offer technical corrections and amendments to the text.

To review a summary of the legislation, please see the following link: https://www.wyden.senate.gov/download/?id=DDF411A6-5D21-40BD-B17C-2BF73A2B9C51&download=1. If you would like more information about the RNR Act and related lobbying activity, please contact Bryan Brendle at bbrendle@horsecouncil.orgor 202-296-4031.

Read on AHC Website

Will Congress Allow Back Door Mustang Slaughter?

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The following post comes from the American Wild Horse Preservation.

We anticipate that the U.S. House of Representatives will vote next week on the 2017 Interior Appropriations Bill, which currently includes dangerous language that opens the door to large-scale killing of wild horses and burros via transfer to other federal, state and local government agencies. The bill also contains report language that encourages sterilization of wild horses and burros, including by inhumane, invasive and dangerous surgical means.

This is the most serious threat to wild horses and burros since the 2004 Burns Amendment authorized the unrestricted sale of older and unadopted animals! Even if you have previously done so, it’s important to continue to contact your Congresspersons to let them know that you want them to uphold the will of the people and protect our wild horses and burros from slaughter for commercial or non-commercial purposes, and from barbaric sterilization practices. Please remember that calling as well as emailing will help to ensure that your message on behalf of wild horses and burros is heard!