They Voted For You: Wild Horses

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, helped the House pass legislation meant to rescue wild horses and burros "from the possibility of a government-sponsored slaughter and give them millions more acres to roam," The Associated Press reports.

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, voted against the Restore Our American Mustangs Act, as did all but 33 of her House GOP colleagues in the 239-185 roll call.

"An estimated 36,000 wild horses and burros live in 10 Western states," the article said. "Federal officials estimate that's about 9,400 more than can exist in balance with other rangeland resources. Off the range, more than 31,000 other wild horse and burros are cared for in corrals and pastures."

AP also noted the reaction by Rahall, the bill's lead sponsor, to Republicans who "dismissed the measure as welfare for horses."

Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Rahall said "a majority of Americans would not support slaughtering healthy animals or keeping them in holding pens for years at a time.

"The status quo is a national disgrace," Rahall was quoted as saying. "It is a disgrace to our heritage."