Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Block NIH Funding of Animal Experiments
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan bill introduced in the House on Thursday would amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit federal funding for medical research that involves experiments on dogs and cats.
If passed and signed into law, the Preventing Animal Abuse and Waste Act would effectively end nearly all federal funding of tests on cats and dogs.
It would require reports to Congress by the National Institutes of Health and the Government Accountability Office detailing NIH-funded dog and cat experiments, their cost, and assessments of agency efforts to phase them out.
“As animal lovers, we’ve been disturbed to learn the scale and scope of barbaric and unnecessary dog and cat experiments funded by the National Institutes of Health,” said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., in a written statement.
“Americans across the political spectrum have been horrified to learn their tax dollars are being used to subsidize cruelty to thousands of puppies and kittens in labs every year,” she continued.
“The PAAW Act will ensure taxpayers’ hard-earned money is not wasted on outdated and cruel experiments on pets,” she added.
The sentiment was echoed by Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., who co-sponsored the bill with the South Carolina Republican.
“As a dog owner, I’m appalled by the inhumane practices that have been conducted using taxpayer dollars. I’m happy to have worked across the aisle with Rep. Mace to choose paws over politics and put a stop to unnecessary government experiments on cats and dogs,” Moskowitz said.
Other co-sponsors of the bill include Reps. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., Troy Nehls, R-Texas, Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., Buddy Carter, R-Ga., and Dina Titus, D-Nev.
The bill is also supported by the White Coat Waste Project, which has led investigations into the NIH’s dog and cat testing and has previously recognized Mace for her work to end government animal experiments.
In 2022, the congresswoman convinced Dr. Anthony Fauci, then-director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical advisor to the president, to abandon plans to carry out drug tests on puppies.
According to her office, the incident and others, “have underscored the NIH’s problematic waste of tax dollars for cruel dog and cat tests when alternatives are available.”
The NIH did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue
