There’s no denying that our government is ripe with waste, fraud, and abuse, but one of the things I was shocked to hear our tax dollars are funding is the euthanasia of animals after they were subjected to lab experiments - also funded by our tax dollars.  No matter how healthy the animals may be, once the experiments are finished, the researchers kill them with our money, or else the research results are voided.

Tens of thousands of animals are used every year in projects ranging from observational studies to cruel and inhumane experiments, and that’s tens of thousands of animals that receive death sentences every year.  This is unnecessary.

Thankfully, some federal agencies - like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) - have enacted lab animal retirement policies, which allow for these dogs, cats, and other animals to be adopted out and relocated to safe environments.

However, there is still a long way to go.  The Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other agencies have not enacted such policies to protect these animals.

That is why I joined my colleagues in supporting Violet’s Law, which will ensure that all federal agencies have policies in place to allow and facilitate the relocation of healthy lab animals to private homes, animal rescues or reputable sanctuaries whenever possible.  Taxpayer-funded animal cruelty is unacceptable, and it is well-past time for Congress to bring it to an end.