Animal Wellness Applauds House Committee for Upcoming Look at the Scandal of Doping in American Horse Racing

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Animal Wellness Action, the leading animal protection group working to advance the Horseracing Integrity Act on Capitol Hill, applauded the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Subcommittee on Consumer Commerce and Protection for scheduling a hearing to look at the problem of widespread doping of equine athletes in American horse racing. The Committee announced a hearing on the Horseracing Integrity Act, which has a majority of House members as cosponsors and would set up a new regulatory system to end race-day doping of horses.

“The American people have lost their patience waiting

on horseracing to wean itself from doping and medication abuse – it’s time for Congress to act,” said Marty Irby, executive director at Animal Wellness Action. “We applaud the leadership, dedication, and tireless work of Chairwoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), and Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) to advance this legislation that will end doping, save equine lives, and help bring integrity back to the sport.”

“Over the last couple of years, the horse racing world has experienced some alarming deaths that call into question the health and safety of racehorses,” said House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman, Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Subcommittee Chairwoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). “We are holding this hearing to explore legislation to protect racehorses, and their jockeys, across the country and ensure their health and safety is top of mind for all parties involved in the sport.”

The Horseracing Integrity Act, led by U.S. Reps. Paul Tonko (D-NY), Andy Barr (R-KY), and Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Martha McSally (R-AZ), now with 229 House cosponsors and 25 Senate cosponsors, would take a tangible stride toward protecting American racehorses through the establishment of a national, uniform standard for drugs and medication in horse racing.

It would also grant drug rulemaking, testing, and enforcement oversight to a private, non-profit, self-regulatory independent organization overseen by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) – the governing body that administers the Olympic anti-doping program, at no cost to the taxpayer.

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Animal Wellness Action is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) organization with a mission of helping animals by promoting legal standards forbidding cruelty. We champion causes that alleviate the suffering of companion animals, farm animals, and wildlife. We advocate for policies to stop dogfighting and cockfighting and other forms of malicious cruelty and to confront factory farming and other systemic forms of animal exploitation. To prevent cruelty, we promote enacting good public policies and we work to enforce those policies. To enact good laws, we must elect good lawmakers, and that’s why we remind voters which candidates care about our issues and which ones don’t. We believe helping animals helps us all.