mr. chairman , i rise today in opposition to the rahall amendment . 
although i appreciate the good intentions of this amendment , i am deeply concerned about its potential for unintended consequences . 
in restricting the ability of the bureau of land management ( blm ) to sell wild horses and burros under the wild horse and burro act of 1971 , we are also restricting opportunities for responsible owners or groups to purchase horses that might have otherwise been sentenced to spend their lives in holding facilities or to starve on our rangelands . 
i disagree with the actions of individuals who purchased horses under the act and then sold them to a slaughter plant ; however , i do not believe that we should prohibit responsible people from purchasing wild horses due to the actions of a few . 
this morning , the blm announced new regulations that will strictly prohibit individuals who purchase wild horses from sending these animals to slaughter . 
the blm has also entered into a partnership with ford motor company to help protect these wild horses for future generations . 
i applaud the blm for their proactive stance on this issue , and i am hopeful that their initiatives will be successful so that other horses are sent to slaughter . 
mr. chairman , i represent a district in nevada , a state that is home to more wild horses than all other states combined . 
although i agree that wild horses are a symbol of the american west , i also believe that it is the responsibility of congress to ensure that these animals are managed , protected , and controlled in an effective manner . 
it is a fact that the current number of wild horses in the nation greatly exceeds the ability of the blm or the land to handle these animals . 
this explosive growth causes significant resource damage , as well as damage to the animals themselves . 
the adoption authority granted under the wild horse and burro act of 1971 has historically failed to keep up with the growth of the wild horse population . 
we must work to maintain responsible and humane alternatives , such as sale authority , in order to ensure that these animals are properly cared for . 
our wild horses are already competing for scarce sources of food and water on rangelands in arid states like nevada , causing many of them to waste into skin and bones . 
i believe that some of these horses should be allowed to be sold to good homes , where they can receive proper nourishment and veterinary care , as opposed to competing for little food and water in the wild or being held in long-term holding pens . 
this is why i am developing legislation that would offer an incentive for responsible people who would like to adopt or purchase a horse under the wild horse and burro act . 
this incentive will be dependent on a number of requirements , one of which will be that these animals can not be sold to slaughter . 
i look forward to working with my colleagues on this issue . 
