PAST Act to get roll call vote
Wednesday, July 24, 2019

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After a spirited debate on the House floor, the vote on the PAST Act was delayed tonight and will be conducted via a roll call vote either Thursday or Friday. The PAST Act was introduced by Rep. Kurt Schrader from Oregon and although Schrader had many of his facts incorrect stating that veterinarian groups are on record saying pads and action devices harm horses, which is not true nor supported by any facts, he did make an emotional plea saying he had personally witnessed soring. In addition, Rep. Ted Yoho from Florida also spoke about the need for the PAST Act but again had many of his facts and figures incorrect. Industry representatives initially met with Yoho when he supported the PAST Act when it was introduced by Rep. Whitfield and Yoho didn't even know which feet, the front or back, the pads and action devices were used on and agreed in that meeting that pads didn't harm horses.

Rep. Scott DesJarlais from Tennessee spoke in opposition to the PAST Act and pointed out the flawed portions of the bill that don't address the issues with the current inspection methods and advocated for his bill that would utilize objective, science-based methods for inspections that would then remove the bad actors from the industry via a strict penalty system. Rep. John Rose, also from Tennessee, spoke against the PAST Act as well and noted the 95% compliance rate with the HPA that currently exists in the industry. Rose's plea was for DesJarlais' bill to be considered so that the super majority of industry participants playing by the rules not be punished through the overreach of the PAST Act.

At the conclusion of the debate, Schrader asked for a roll call vote that by rule will take place either tomorrow or Friday.

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