Pontiac Times

Reps. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) and Don Davis (D-N.C.) have introduced a new bill aimed at preventing the use of U.S. taxpayer money for animal research in certain countries. The Accountability in Foreign Animal Research (AFAR) Act targets funding for research conducted in China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and other adversarial countries. The legislators emphasize the need to curb spending on experiments that could pose risks to public health and animal welfare.

McClain stated, “American taxpayer dollars should never fund dangerous, cruel experiments in animal research labs – much less in China or other adversarial countries. This common-sense legislation ensures taxpayer dollars are not wasted on reckless research.” Davis added that stopping hazardous animal experiments is essential to "protect our nation from another preventable pandemic," highlighting that “hard-working taxpayers in eastern North Carolina and across America should not pay for risky experimentation in countries not subject to regular oversight and accountability.”

Complementing the House bill, Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) has presented a similar measure in the Senate. Ernst highlighted lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic in her remarks. “We should have learned our lesson after COVID-19,” Ernst said. “Whether creating zombie cats in Russia, supporting risky research in Wuhan, or funding sketchy experiments on animals in foreign labs, I am cutting off the money for this madness and ensuring that taxpayers no longer foot the bill for crazy pseudoscience overseas.”

In previous years, McClain has been vocal about ceasing funding for precarious experiments abroad. Her legislative efforts date back to the 117th and 118th Congresses. She has also sought explanations from the Biden administration regarding U.S. funds used for experiments in Russian labs.

Recently, McClain commended the National Institutes of Health for withdrawing funding from six Chinese laboratories.