Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020

Floor Speech

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Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act.

More than 5 years ago, I, along with my good friend and colleague, Representative Andy Barr, introduced the first version of this legislation. It has been an honor to work with Representative Barr for many years to get to this point that speaks to an industry that provides many, many jobs and is a deeply rooted bit of history in these United States. Now we will move forward with a very good bill.

I offer my sincere thanks to Chairman Pallone and Ranking Member Walden for their support and to also echo my support and thanks to our Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce chair, Jan Schakowsky, and the ranking member, Representative Rodgers, for their support and guidance, also, throughout this process.

Now, with the support and leadership of Majority Leader McConnell and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in the Senate, we are finally poised to cross the finish line on this historic reform.

I need to thank Jeff Morgan, our legislative director in my office, for the numerous, numerous hours that he has spent on making certain that, as we move to the finish line on this process, details were addressed and concerns were also equally responded to.

Horseracing, as it has been said, has been long woven into the fabric of our American culture. Storied names like Secretariat, War Admiral, and Man o' War, stir the imagination of racing fans not only in this country but all over the world.

In addition to its cultural import, horseracing serves as an economic driver in many parts of the country. That certainly is true in my congressional district, home of the Nation's oldest track, the fabled Saratoga Race Course.

The horseracing industry generates some $26.1 billion in direct economic impact nationwide, including $5 billion in my home State of New York.

In 2015, I had the chance to see, in person, the sport at its very best when I bore witness to the historic run by American Pharaoh in the Belmont to capture the Triple Crown.

When we place a majestic equine athlete like American Pharaoh at the forefront, this endeavor can capture, truly, the imagination of the Nation, and the sport of horseracing can thrive. However, we have also seen the devastating results that can occur when these equine athletes are pushed beyond their limits, often aided by medications that can mask underlying health issues.

This same story has played out countless times across the country because the current medication reforms have been implemented unevenly, leaving patchwork systems in place that have created a wide disparity in the effectiveness of medication testing and enforcement and racetrack safety standards. That patchwork system simply doesn't work.

This national approach brings great hope to the integrity of this great industry. If horseracing is to thrive as an industry and once again capture the public's imagination, then we must do better. So I am, indeed, pleased that today, after many years of work, we will take those first steps on the road to reform.

Our legislation would recognize the horseracing integrity and safety authority as a private, not-for-profit organization responsible for developing and implementing a horseracing antidoping and medication control program and a racetrack safety program. This authority would partner with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, USADA, to develop effective testing protocols, uniform standards and penalties, as well as proper lab accreditation.

The board of the authority would also include voices representing a spectrum of perspectives within the horseracing industry, subject to strict conflict-of-interest rules, including owners, breeders, horsemen, racetracks, and veterinarians.

The revised legislation would also require the creation of a national racetrack safety program establishing safety standards for training and racing; racetrack surfaces; injury-related data analyses; safety violation investigation, hearings, and sanctions. Adding a racetrack safety component to the bill will help make the sport significantly safer for our equine athletes and jockeys.

While no legislation is perfect, the agreement represented in this bill has the support of the overwhelming majority of not only the horseracing industry, including all three tracks that host Triple Crown races, the Jockey Club, and the Breeders' Cup, but also major animal welfare groups like the Humane Society, Animal Wellness Action, and the grassroots Water Hay Oats Alliance.

Mr. Speaker, this is truly a win-win-win for the industry, sports fans, and our equine athletes. It puts the equine athlete at the epicenter of this legislation and concern. It is safer as an outcome for our jockeys, important in that sport, and I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1754.

Again, I thank the chairman of the committee, Frank Pallone, for bringing this forward and all who have worked so steadfastly on the results that we have achieved today.

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