Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Van Drew issued the following statement on the recent reports that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) spent almost two million in taxpayer dollars on funding cruel experiments on 44 beagle puppies. These tests included injecting these puppies with an experimental drug before killing and dissecting them. Reports indicate that the NIAID included a line item for “cordectomy” which consists of slicing a dog’s vocal cords, so they do not bark, howl, or cry while the experimentations take place.

“Dr. Fauci and the NIAID must explain why taxpayer dollars were being used to fund this cruel and inhumane treatment of 44 puppies,” said Congressman Van Drew. “If the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require drugs to be tested on dogs, why would the NIAID feel that they needed to perform these unnecessary and brutal experiments? American taxpayers do not want their hard-earned money to fund the killing of helpless animals. We all are aware that before drugs are given to humans, they must undergo extensive testing to ensure they are safe. However, that does not mean we should torture six-month-old puppies. The NIAID and Dr. Fauci need to be held accountable for authorizing this blatant and disgusting misuse of taxpayer funds. I join the bipartisan group of my fellow colleagues who are demanding answers on how this could have been allowed to happen.”

Click here to read the letter Congressman Van Drew sent to Dr. Fauci.