Introduction of the AWARE Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, today, along with my colleague and co-
chair of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, Mike Fitzpatrick,
I am pleased to introduce the Animal Welfare in Agricultural Research
Endeavors, or AWARE Act. This bill would ensure that farm animals used
in agricultural research at federal research facilities are included in
the definition of ``animal'' under the Animal Welfare Act.

A January 20, 2015 front page article in the New York Times, ``U.S.
Research Lab Lets Livestock Suffer in Quest for Profit: Animal Welfare
at Risk in Experiments for Meat Industry,'' examined horrendous abuses
at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska. In
the last 30 years, over half a million animals have been housed at the
center. The center's experiments have included experiments to increase
the number of twin births in cows and expand the litter size of pigs,
without consideration of animal health impacts, and trying to breed
``easy care'' lambs that are born in open fields without human
assistance--all with horrifying, and often unsuccessful results.

At least 6,500 animals are known to have starved to death at this
facility alone. Unknown numbers have died from negligence such as
easily treatable infections, exposure to bad weather, or attacks by
predators. In just the last 10 years, this single center has cost
nearly $200 million with taxpayers footing the bill for this shocking
abuse of animals.

Appallingly, these animals are not currently protected under federal
law. While the Animal Welfare Act ensures that certain minimum
standards of humane care are required for federal and private research
facilities, there is an exemption for farm animals ``used or intended
for use for improving animal nutrition, breeding, management, or
production efficiency, or for improving the quality of food or
fiber''--from those basic protections. As a result, federal facilities
like the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center don't have to obey the Animal
Welfare Act.

This is why we are introducing the AWARE Act, which would close this
loophole at federal research facilities. It is time that we step up to
stop this horrible misuse of taxpayer funds. There is no reason that
USDA agricultural research facilities experimenting on farm animals
should not be held to the same standard as federal research facilities
that conduct lifesaving disease research with the same kinds of
animals.

This is a small step that this Congress can take quickly to show that
we respond to animal abuse and that the federal government will lead by
example.

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