The number of House co-sponsors for a bill to address soring has reached 300, supporters said.

Meanwhile, the two lead sponsors of identical Senate legislation called for leaders in that chamber to allow a floor vote.

The Prevent All Soring Tactics Act has passed the Senate Commerce Committee but remains bottled up in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where a PAST Act opponent, Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Brentwood, is vice-chair.

Of the House bill’s 300 co-sponsors, 114 are Republicans and 186 are Democrats. The lead House sponsor is Kentucky Republican Rep. Ed Whitfield, and the last to sign on was Rep. G.K. Butterfield, a North Carolina Democrat.

There are 57 Senate co-sponsors.

“This critical legislation has more bipartisan support than nearly any other bill in Congress. We strongly urge House leadership to bring this bill to the floor for a vote and pass the PAST Act,” Keith Dane of the Humane Society of the United States said in a statement.

“The abuse of Tennessee walking horses has gone on long enough, and so has Congress’ delay in acting on this bill.”

Widely seen as cruel, soring involves using caustic chemicals, chains, special pads and other devices on a walking horse’s legs and hooves to produce an artificially high step, referred to as the “Big Lick.”

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