WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today introduced bipartisan legislation that will ban horse slaughter in the United States for human consumption. The "Virgie S. Arden American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act," S. 311, would amend the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the "shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of any horse or other equine to be slaughtered for human consumption."

"The slaughter of horses is both cruel and inhumane, and it is our responsibility to ensure that it no longer occurs," Sen. Landrieu said. "I was proud to cosponsor legislation to ban horse slaughter in the 109th Congress and I am proud to be the lead sponsor of the legislation in the 110th."

In 2005, more than 90,000 U.S. horses were slaughtered for human food. The legislation has twelve co-sponsors, including Sens. Landrieu, John Ensign, R-Nev., Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., John Kerry, D-Mass., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Carl Levin, D-Mich., Thomas Carper, D-De., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, and Robert Byrd, D-W.V., and similar legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.