A working ranch horse in Presidio County, Texas, just became the first horse in the United States confirmed to carry New World screwworm, a parasite whose larvae eat into living flesh. That single case is a warning sign, and it's landed right where thousands of American horses cross into Mexico every year to be killed for meat that mostly ends up on dinner tables in Asia. Roughly 20,000 horses made that trip last year alone.

The Trump administration already paused these exports in response to the screwworm threat. Six House Republicans, building on an earlier letter from Rep. Vern Buchanan and 16 colleagues, are now asking the President to make that pause permanent. As Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar put it, "Since New World Screwworm is an ongoing challenge, we believe USDA's current restriction on exports of horses to Mexico for slaughter should be made permanent."

This isn't just about disease control. American horses aren't raised to be eaten — they're partners in ranching and law enforcement, competitors in the arena, and therapy animals for kids and veterans. Congress has already shown broad, bipartisan appetite for ending this practice for good: the Save America's Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act has 230 House cosponsors and 10 Senate cosponsors, including support inspired by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham's work on the bill.

A temporary pause can be reversed the moment the immediate threat fades. Horses deserve better than a policy that depends on the news cycle. Sign the petition to make the ban on horse exports for slaughter permanent — before the door reopens on a cruel and dangerous trade.