CARGO Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill would stop the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from giving money to any research project that uses live animals if the work happens in a foreign country. All NIH-funded animal research would have to take place within the United States or its territories.
• Between 2011 and 2021, the government spent about $2.2 billion on animal research overseas. The bill's sponsors argue that because the NIH does not personally inspect these foreign labs, there is a high risk that animals are being mistreated or that welfare rules are being ignored.
• Currently, foreign labs mostly report on their own animal welfare conditions. This bill aims to increase oversight by ensuring that all taxpayer-funded animal studies happen where U.S. inspectors can more easily check on the animals' living conditions and treatment.

Impact Analysis

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