Several horse issues will face the new Congress

With the start of the 111th Congress, many in the horse industry are wondering what steps the lawmakers will take on equine issues. The new Congress faces issues ranging from economics, with a bill to lengthen the holding period for capital gains tax, to immigration, which is a major concern in an industry which depends on foreign workers.

Animal welfare laws are also anticipated to return as a major issue this session, as well as questions of federal land use rights. But a Democrat-majority does not necessarily signal where legislators will fall on specific votes. "For the most part, issues affecting the horse industry are not partisan," American Horse Council president Jay Hickey told The Northwest Horse Source. "Like most industries, our legislative concerns don't clearly split along party lines." (Read more)