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Help pass the CARGO Act in Congress

Help pass the CARGO Act in Congress

Name of Bill: The Cease Animal Research Grants Overseas (CARGO) Act

Bill Number: H.R. 4757

NIH BuildingWhile there is still a lot of work to be done to get animals out of laboratories completely, some comfort can be taken in knowing that in the U.S. there are basic, minimal requirements that guide the use of animals in research. It is unsettling, however, that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) sends research grants overseas to animal laboratories that may not have sufficient care standards in place.

During the decade ending in 2021, the NIH gave $2.2 billion to foreign organizations to fund more than 1,000 grants and 180 contracts involving experiments on animals in 45 different countries. These foreign laboratories may not be regularly inspected and could lack oversight committees that review proposed experiments to ensure compliance with the basic standards of animal care required in the U.S.

In short, we just don’t know what is happening in foreign animal laboratories, and that is disturbing to animal advocates and science advocates alike.

The Cease Animal Research Grants Overseas (CARGO) Act (HR 4757) would prevent the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from awarding “grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or technical assistance” to any foreign entity for use in animal experiments. This bill would stem the flow of money to unaccountable institutions that operate outside the reach of U.S. law.

 

Calls to Action: 

  1. Please contact your U.S. representative and urge them to cosponsor this bill.
  2. Spread the word! Share this page with your social network.

 

Recipients

  • Your Representative

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Message

Please Cosponsor the CARGO Act to Save Money and Animals' Lives

Dear [Decision Maker],

I am writing to you today as a constituent of your district to ask you to cosponsor the Cease Animal Research Grants Overseas (CARGO) Act (HR 4757). Introduced by U.S. Reps. Dina Titus (D-Nev) and Troy Nehls (R-Texas), the bipartisan CARGO Act would end the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) funding of foreign animal experiments.

The NIH has no power of oversight into how foreign laboratories operate, including how animals are treated, or how the money is spent. In fact, recipients getting less than $750,000 a year--or roughly 90% of the grants awarded in the last five years--are entirely exempt from NIH audits.

The CARGO Act would also save taxpayers billions of dollars without inhibiting research in the United States.

The financial waste and abysmal animal treatment that this bill seeks to end is exemplified by a $17 million NIH-funded laboratory in Colombia that was exposed in an 18-month investigation by PETA. Colombian authorities have since shut down the operation, rescued hundreds of sick and injured animals, and begun investigations into many potential crimes.

Please stand with your colleagues and cosponsor the CARGO Act today!

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]