1. United States
2. Ala.
3. Letter

Dear Representative / Senator,I am writing to urge you to co-sponsor and support the SAFE Act (Save America's Forgotten Equines Act). My support for this legislation is rooted strictly in urgent public health, consumer protection, and food safety concerns across North America. Unlike livestock raised for slaughter, American horses are treated throughout their lives with a wide array of medications that are strictly banned by the FDA for food-producing animals. Chief among these is phenylbutazone ("bute"), a known carcinogen that causes severe bone marrow toxicity in humans, alongside various other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, and chemical dewormers. Because the United States does not have a mandatory medical passport or tracking system for equines, it is impossible to guarantee a lifetime medical history for any horse sold at auction. Allowing these chemically altered animals to enter the slaughter pipeline—and exporting them across our borders to Canada and Mexico for processing—is a direct violation of international food safety standards. It knowingly introduces toxic, adulterated meat into the human food supply chain. The SAFE Act is necessary to close the cross-border transport loopholes that allow this public health hazard to continue. Please protect consumers and uphold strict food safety standards by supporting this vital piece of legislation.