Dear Subscribers,
This Wednesday April 9 is a crucial day for our industry. S 1406 the Ayotte companion to the Whitfield Bill (HR1518) is set for a markup hearing in the Senate at 1:30 EST.
Now is the hour when we must pull together to stop this bill from coming out of committee.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!!
We ask that you participate in an all out push, by phoning( you can phone after hours and leave a message), faxing (you can fax after hours), emailing and tweeting the Senators on the Committee..... please continue reading below, all information is here to arm yourselves for the battle....
TO ARMS!!! TO ARMS!!!
PHONE THE SENATE COMMITTEE
EFFECTIVE PHONE CALLS....
Yes the number one way to contact the Members of the Senate Hearing Committee is by phone. All the numbers, PHONE, FAX and even TWITTER addresses are Right Here just click
WHAT TO SAY.....
Give your name......
Where you are calling from......
Why you are calling...You are calling about the markup hearing on S 1406 on April 9, 2014 before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.
Your position ... I oppose S1406 because.... It is an HSUS written and backed bill that eliminates the Tennessee Walking Horse Industry, destroys 20,000 jobs and has a $3.2 adverse economic impact. It will cost the American Taxpayer $20 million annually because of necessary bureaucratic expansion at the Dept Of Agriculture and Justice. Recently Senators Alexander, McConnell and Paul have introduced S 2193, a common- sense bill with no additonal costs to the American Taxpayer that will increase commerce in the equine industry and eliminate the sore horse thru Objective Scientific inspections. The American Farm Bureau endorses the Blackburn House version of S2193 which is HR 4098. I ask that you also supoprt the common sense S 2193, the bill that is best for the Horse and for the Horse Owner. Please vote NO to move the HSUS backed Ayotte/Whitfield bill S1406, out of committee without a debate.
Note feel free to reference the comparisons of the two bills listed below when speaking with the representative....
FAX COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Copy the following letter (or compose one of your own), fill your name at the bottom and fax to the Senators on the committee
Dear Senator,
As a person deeply involved in the Walking Horse Industry I would like to respectfully request you oppose S. 1406 when it is brought up for action Wednesday at the Senate Commerce Committee meeting. This bill, sponsored and written by the Humane Society of the United States, would effectively eliminate the Tennessee Walking horse industry and do away with 20,000 jobs and have a $3.2 billion in economic impact. The bill turns over all aspects of this industry's operations to the Government which will cost the taxpayers $20,000,000 annuallybecause of the additional bureaucrats that will be needed at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Justice. Senator Lamar Alexander, Sen. Mitch McConnell and Sen. Rand Paul have introduced S. 2193 which is a common sense approach to protect our horses and keep our industry alive and growing.
The Humane Society's S. 1406 will help further the HSUS agenda of doing away with all animals in agriculture and that's why the American Farm Bureau has endorsed the House version of Sen. Alexander's bill - HR 4098, sponsored by House Commerce Committee Vice Chair Marsha Blackburn and House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers. I hope that you can stand with us and the American Farm Bureau and not let S. 1406 get passed out the Commerce Committee with no hearing and no debate. Thank you for your time and attention to this request.
Sincerely,
NO TO HR 1518/S1406 (Whitfield/Ayotte)
• Eliminates Show Horses
• Eliminates the Weighted Shoe
• Eliminates the Action Device
• Subjective, non-science based inspections developed in 1970s
• USDA ONLY Oversight
• USDA Inspectors
• Significant Penalties
• Violators subjectively punished
• Investigations(365days) prosecute only a small %
• Adverse Economic Impact STAGGERING
• USDA budget soars $10-20 Million
• Over 80% of Walking Horses will be displaced
• USDA current Compliance (not published but believed to be 95%)
• Possible unconstitutional "taking"
• EXPANDS the role of the Federal Government by creating a Federal Horse Cruelty Law superseding State law
YES ON HR 4098/S2193 (Blackburn/Alexander)
? Eliminates the Sore Horse
? Does NOT eliminate the Weighted Shoe
? Does NOT Eliminate the Action Device
? Objective Science based Inspections developed & peer reviewed by Veterinarians
? Independent Oversight thru State Agriculture Depts.
? Non-Conflicted, Qualified, Trained Inspectors
? Significant Penalties for Guilty established thru Objective findings
? Immediate Penalties (60 Days)
? NO Adverse Economic Impact
? NO Additional cost to TAX PAYERS
? Self Funded By Industry
? Breed/Horse Thrives
? Current Compliance Rate 98+%
? NO Legal Issues
? Retains State Oversight for animal cruelty and allows involvement in the inspection process
EMAIL COMMITTEE MEMBERS
These are the direct emails to the Senate Staffers that handle S1406. click here
Copy and paste the email below, add the comparison at the bottom...don't forget to sign the letter.
Dear Senator :
As a person deeply involved in the Walking Horse Industry I would like to respectfully request you oppose S. 1406 when it is brought up for action Wednesday at the Senate Commerce Committee meeting. This bill, sponsored and written by the Humane Society of the United States, would effectively eliminate the Tennessee Walking horse industry and do away with 20,000 jobs and have a $3.2 billion in economic impact. The bill turns over all aspects of this industry's operations to the Government which will cost the taxpayers $20,000,000 annuallybecause of the additional bureaucrats that will be needed at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Justice. Senator Lamar Alexander, Sen. Mitch McConnell and Sen. Rand Paul have introduced S. 2193 which is a common sense approach to protect our horses and keep our industry alive and growing.
The Humane Society's S. 1406 will help further the HSUS agenda of doing away with all animals in agriculture and that's why the American Farm Bureau has endorsed the House version of Sen. Alexander's bill - HR 4098, sponsored by House Commerce Committee Vice Chair Marsha Blackburn and House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers. I hope that you can stand with us and the American Farm Bureau and not let S. 1406 get passed out the Commerce Committee with no hearing and no debate. Thank you for your time and attention to this request.
Sincerely,
A Comparison of the bills HR1518/S1406 and HR 4098/S2193
NO TO HR 1518/S1406 (Whitfield/Ayotte)
• Eliminates Show Horses
• Eliminates the Weighted Shoe
• Eliminates the Action Device
• Subjective, non-science based inspections developed in 1970s
• USDA ONLY Oversight
• USDA Inspectors
• Significant Penalties
• Violators subjectively punished
• Investigations(365days) prosecute only a small %
• Adverse Economic Impact STAGGERING
• USDA budget soars $10-20 Million
• Over 80% of Walking Horses will be displaced
• USDA current Compliance (not published but believed to be 95%)
• Possible unconstitutional "taking"
• EXPANDS the role of the Federal Government by creating a Federal Horse Cruelty Law superseding State law
YES ON HR 4098/S2193 (Blackburn/Alexander)
?Eliminates the Sore Horse
?Does NOT eliminate the Weighted Shoe
?Does NOT Eliminate the Action Device
?Objective Science based Inspections developed & peer reviewed by Veterinarians
?Independent Oversight thru State Agriculture Depts.
?Non-Conflicted, Qualified, Trained Inspectors
?Significant Penalties for Guilty established thru Objective findings
?Immediate Penalties (60 Days)
?NO Adverse Economic Impact
?NO Additional cost to TAX PAYERS
?Self Funded By Industry
?Breed/Horse Thrives
?Current Compliance Rate 98+%
?NO Legal Issues
?Retains State Oversight for animal cruelty and allows involvement in the inspection process
TWEET COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Using Twitter is simple... and effective. In our Thunderclap you accomplished an outstanding fete besting the HSUS machine in people reached and earning mention as the most effective equine Thunderclap in Equus magazine. Following are two "flashcards" to tweet to the Committee Members.
Tweet the following to the Commitee (for "veterans of Twitter) twitter addresses
First Tweet.. copy and paste the following, addressing each Commitee Member...
Side by side view of both bills. Choose + economy not devastation. #NoToS1406 http://ow.ly/i/5amTK
Second Tweet.. copy and paste the following, addressing to each Committee Member....
Don't be deceived by HSUS lies. They have targeted all animal ownership. #NoToS1406. pic.twitter.com/hWAPWilzEH
In addition to the individual members, the "general" tweet address for the commerce committee is @SenateCommerce
For the New Folks, or a fast Retweet
I have either tweeted this flashcard or it's scheduled to be tweeted to the Senate Commerce Committee .If you're not using Twitter, please sign up for it today. The only way our message will gain any attention is by more people tweeting and re-tweeting.
Once you have a Twitter account (it takes 5 minutes), use the search tab to search 'MsJoywalking' which should bring up my profile summary. Click "follow". If my profile summary doesn't pull up, click on 'MsJoywalking' in any of the results you are given from your search and it will take you to my profile summary. When you click "follow", all of my tweets and re-tweets will show up in your newsfeed.
To re-tweet fast and easy, just go to my profile page and click "view all tweets". You will have them all right at your fingertips and can click the 2 arrow icon, choose "yes" and move on to the next one very fast and re-tweet as many as you can.
These flashcards can also be found - https://www.facebook.com/twhfacts?ref=hl. Please visit and feel free to print and handout to your farriers, feed stores, people who own other breeds of horses in order to increase awareness about the PAST Act and how everyone could suffer as a result if it is allowed to become a law.
If you need help tweeting or retweeting, email dchpllc@gmail.com. (Joy Smith)
THANK YOU FOR THE EFFORT YOU WILL BE PUTTING FORTH THE NEXT 36 HOURS!!!
If you have aany questions please email psha1@outlook .com
Thank you so much,
Editor
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