Ciscomani Named Co-Chair of the Congressional Wild Horse Caucus

"Wild horses and burros embody the spirit and heritage of the West and deserve to be protected and treated humanely," said Ciscomani. "For too long, these animals have been subject to cruel and costly roundups that, at best, remove them from their natural habitat to be housed in warehouses, and at worst, result in the death of the animal. Caring for wild horses and burros is not a partisan issue, which is why I am proud to be named as Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Wild Horse Caucus to promote humane policies, such as PZP fertility control and habitat preservation, to manage and care for these iconic animals."

The Caucus will champion solutions, such as PZP fertility controland habitat preservation as sustainable alternatives to harmful and expensive roundups and removals. On April 30, Ciscomani joined on a letter to Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgumcalling for the increased use of PZP fertility control over helicopter roundups and removals. 

Joining Ciscomani as Co-Chairs are Reps. David Schweikert (AZ-01), Dina Titus (NV-03), and Steve Cohen (TN-09). 

"Growing up, I had the blessing of spending much time on several ranches and farms in Arizona," said Schweikert. "These experiences have led me to serve as an advocate for humane treatment and protection of these majestic species. I'm looking forward to the conservation initiatives that will come out of the formation of this caucus."

"Nevada is home to more than 30,000 wild horses and burros - more than half of all the wild horses and burros in the United States," said Titus. "These icons of the American West deserve to be treated humanely, and the bipartisan Wild Horse Caucus can lay the groundwork for better management of these herds by the Bureau of Land Management. I am hopeful that the Wild Horse Caucus will raise awareness in Congress that there are better ways to manage wild horses and burros. Protecting these animals from harm should be an issue we can all agree upon. 

"I'm proud to be a co-chairman of the bipartisan Wild Horse Caucus and to work to protect these iconic symbols of our country," said Cohen. "Wild horses and burros are part of our national heritage. How we treat animals is a direct reflection of who we are, and I hold firm in the belief that all beings should be treated humanely."

"This is an important step toward reforming a broken system," said Suzanne Roy, Executive Director of the American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC). "For too long, federal wild horse policy has relied on costly and inhumane roundups that remove animals from the range only to warehouse them in holding facilities. We commend the leaders of the Wild Horse Caucus for recognizing that there's a better way to manage our wild herds that is rooted in humane treatment, science, and fiscal responsibility.

"Protecting America's wild horses and burros has always been a bipartisan issue, in large part because these iconic animals hold an important place in our country's history and because, for countless Americans, they continue to embody the spirit of freedom and resilience," said Joanna Grossman, Ph.D., Animal Welfare Institute's (AWI) Equine Program Director and Senior Policy Advisor. "We are grateful to Representatives Titus, Ciscomani, Schweikert, and Cohen for their outstanding leadership on this issue. The Congressional Wild Horse Caucus will help ensure these beloved animals will be protected for generations to come."

Background:

The launch of the caucus comes amid growing public concern over the Bureau of Land Management's mass helicopter roundups, which are frightening and often deadly to the animals, and the record number of wild horses and burros-more than 65,000-confined in government holding facilities. Last fiscal year alone, this roundup and removal program cost taxpayers over $109 million. 

###