A bipartisan bill introduced Wednesday would ban the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from funding experiments involving animals in laboratories outside the U.S.
The Daily Caller first obtained a copy of the bill, which is titled the ‘Cease Animal Research Grants Overseas Act of 2023, or the CARGO Act. Democratic Nevada Rep. Dina Titus spearheaded the legislation, which was also cosponsored by Texas Republican Rep. Troy Nehls. The bill would specifically prevent abuse and save taxpayer money that could be redirected to research with human-relevant methods within the United States. The American public would no longer fund experiments on animals abroad.
Between fiscal years 2011 and 2021, the NIH gave $2.2 billion to 200 foreign organizations to fund 1,357 grants and contracts involving experiments on animals. Those funds went to 45 countries, which included Brazil, China, Colombia, and Russia. Titus and Nehls want to put an end to that funding.
“From 2011 to 2021, the National Institute of Health (NIH) shelled out a staggering $2.2 billion in taxpayer money to foreign organizations, with a shocking 90% of these funds never audited by NIH. That is unacceptable,” Nehls told the Caller.
“To make matters worse, NIH does not inspect the laboratories it funds. They simply shell out billions of dollars to organizations that could be torturing animals or wasting funds,” he added.
READ THE LEGISLATION HERE:
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
“Too many NIH programs overseas either fail to hold up under intensive scrutiny or are exempt from that oversight altogether, resulting in the abuse of animals through experiments funded by taxpayer dollars,” Titus said. “By onshoring these experiments and instituting more stringent regulations of the NIH’s experimental contractors, we can stop funding cruelty to innocent animals and restore integrity to this critical component of our national scientific research.” (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Nehls Rips Target, Calls On Retailer To Remove All LGBT Merchandise For Children)
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has endorsed the bill. (RELATED: Fauci-Led Agency Funded Abusive Animal Experiments Promising To Kill Dozens Of Beagles)
“We’re thankful for Representatives Titus’ and Nehls’ leadership and compassion. The CARGO Act would prevent misery and death for animals in dreadful conditions at foreign laboratories funded by American taxpayers,” PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo said in a statement.