Anti-slaughter bill passes House

The House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday intended to stop the practice of horse slaughter in the United States for consumption in foreign markets, in a move that lobbyists contend will likely be symbolic.

The vote on the legislation was 263-146. The bill will now be sent to the Senate, where the chances of it being introduced are unlikely since there are only 14 legislative days left on the calendar, according to lobbyists.

The legislation would ban the shipment and processing of horses for the purposes of human consumption. Three slaughterhouses in the United States - two in Texas and one in Illinois - currently process approximately 90,000 horses a year, with the meat typically shipped to markets in Europe and Asia.