WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott announced the introduction of the Cease Animal Research Grants Overseas (CARGO) Act to prohibit the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from using taxpayer-funded grants for foreign laboratories to use on animal experiments. These foreign labs lack sufficient oversight and accountability, leading to widespread fraud and abuse. Between 2011 and 2021, NIH allocated $2.2 billion to such projects, including controversial studies in various countries, often with no investigations into animal welfare. 

Congressman Troy Nehls is leading the companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Senator Rick Scott said, “It is deeply concerning that Americans taxpayer dollars have been used to fund harmful and abusive animal experiments overseas that lack the same oversight and accountability as labs here in the United States. The CARGO Act will put an end to this misuse of funds and ensure taxpayer-funded research isn’t contributing to the abuse of animals in labs abroad.”

Senator Cory Booker said, “Over a period of 10 years, more than $2 billion in federal funding was given to foreign laboratories to conduct cruel experiments on animals. We need to end this waste of taxpayer dollars. The CARGO Act is bipartisan legislation that will end the funding of these types of unnecessary animal tests, which will allow these dollars to be redirected towards development of the cutting-edge alternative nonanimal research models which the NIH is now prioritizing.”

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