1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I'm writing to you as a constituent from California because I'm deeply troubled by what's happening to our wild horses and burros on federal lands. I've been following reports on the Bureau of Land Management's roundup and sale programs, and I'm heartbroken by how many of these animals end up in the hands of buyers who ship them to slaughter, often across US borders. These are animals our own laws were meant to protect. The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 called them "living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West," and yet current practices are pushing them toward the very fate that law was written to prevent. I'm asking you to: 1. Support and co-sponsor the SAFE Act (Safeguard American Food Exports Act) to permanently ban the slaughter of American horses for human consumption and stop their export for that purpose. 2. Push for stronger protections in the Interior Appropriations bill, including restoring purchase limits on BLM's "sale authority" program, which currently allows unlimited purchases with little oversight of where these horses ultimately end up. 3. Advocate for humane, fertility-control-based management of wild herds instead of large-scale roundups, which are stressful and often dangerous for the animals. These horses can't advocate for themselves, and I believe protecting them reflects who we are as a society. I'd be grateful to know where you stand on this issue and what you're doing to address it. Thank you for your time and for representing the people—and the wildlife—of the US.