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Energy and Commerce Committee Advances the Horseracing Integrity Act

September 9, 2020

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Senior Chief Deputy Whip and Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, applauded the advancement of H.R. 1754, the Horseracing Integrity Act, after a vote today by the full committee to send the legislation to the U.S. House floor. The legislation was introduced by Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20).

"I am proud to see the passage of the Horseracing Integrity Act, which moved through my subcommittee. I thank my friend and colleague, Mr. Tonko, for his hard work to advance it to the House floor," said Congresswoman Schakowsky. "As a member of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus and a former horse owner myself, I can say that this legislation is long overdue. We need uniform regulation and supervision to protect the horses and the jockeys. I look forward to the opportunity to vote in favor of this vital bipartisan bill and urge my colleagues to support it in the full House. Without it, the health of the sport itself is at risk."

"Today's vote was a major step forward for our bipartisan drive to bring greater safety and integrity to the sport of horse racing," Congressman Tonko said. "Our bill delivers commonsense medication and track safety standards that protect our horses and jockeys, needed progress that will put this popular and historic sport on track for a strong recovery and a bright future. Horse racing is more than the sport of kings, it also supports thousands of good local jobs and drives vital economic activity in communities all across America. My thanks to my colleagues on the Committee on Energy and Commerce for advancing this critical bill and I look forward to a vote in the full House and hopefully its enactment into law later this year."

"Horses hold iconic status for Americans so if we're going to race them, it's imperative they don't leave everything on the track," said Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. "That's why we support the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act sponsored by Reps. Paul Tonko and Andy Barr to end doping and provide a safer environment for horses. Today, Chairman Pallone successfully marked up the bill which was approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. We urge the House to expeditiously pass this critical federal legislation to protect horses."

The Horseracing Integrity Act would protect horse and jockey health in addition to restoring integrity and public confidence in this centuries-old sport. The bill authorizes the creation of an independent oversight body responsible for creating and enforcing a national anti-doping program to ensure fair and safe competition across the thirty-eight state-based racing jurisdictions.

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