Janice Schakowsky: “I thank the chairman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1754, the Horseracing Integrity…”

“I thank the chairman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1754, the Horseracing Integrity Act, and the really amazing, relentless work that my colleagues, Paul Tonko and Mr. Barr, have exerted all session this year, last year, the year before, to make this a reality. Madam Speaker, compromise is often hard to find. And the number of stakeholders that have been involved has made it even more complicated but, finally, successful. This legislation is the result of that compromise. The amendment includes such important improvements in establishing safety, not only for the equine athletes, our horses, but also for the jockeys. Madam Speaker, you have heard a lot from both of the chief sponsors on this legislation, but I want to say that this bill will help achieve our overarching goal to protect the health and welfare of our racehorses and jockeys while strengthening the integrity of the sport itself, which is so important. Madam Speaker, I want to emphasize something that Mr. Tonko was talking about, because let's not forget why we are here. Racehorses in the United States are injured at a much higher rate than the rest of the horse-racing world, resulting in nearly 500 horses dying every year. One of the keys to stopping injuries and deaths is establishing strong drug policies, training, and racing protocols and racetrack standards. Standards like pre-race detection and appropriate treatment for injuries.…”