{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://titus.house.gov/press-releases/rep-titus-leads-bipartisan-request-for-audit-of-federal-animal-research-programs", "Rep. Titus leads bipartisan request for audit of federal animal research programs", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "NV", "Dina Titus", "T000468", "titus.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 13, 2016\nLas Vegas -- Congresswoman Dina Titus sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO)\u00a0last week requesting a study of costs and other details about animal research conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs and other federal agencies. The letter was co-led by Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA), chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, and signed by a bipartisan group of 11 other members.\nThe GAO audit request reads, in part:\n\u201cRecent cases of abuse, waste and accountability gaps documented by independent organizations have highlighted the need for additional scrutiny of intramural animal research programs at federal facilities\u2026.[W]e have discovered it is impossible to determine what federal animal research programs currently entail, what they cost and if they meet federal standards because of the limited and decentralized information available publicly.\u201d\nRep. Titus\u2019 letter requests a study to assess spending on animal research in government laboratories\u2014currently estimated at more than $1 billion\u2014and a critical review of existing systems for informing Congress and the public about the purpose, methods, cost and outcomes of government animal research. The request also seeks information about the number of animals used, how violations are reported, and investments in superior and cost-effective alternatives to animal testing.\nFederal agencies acknowledge that much animal research is wasteful, but critical information needed to identify unnecessary projects is not publicly available.\nThe GAO request was co-signed by Reps. Beyer (D-VA), Costello (R-PA), Grijalva (D-AZ), McCollum (D-MN), Marino (R-PA), Paulsen (R-MN), Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Royce (R-CA), Simpson (R-ID), Tsongas (D-MA) and Walters (R-CA).\nThe full letter can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://titus.house.gov/press-releases/rep-titus-leads-bipartisan-request-for-audit-of-federal-animal-research-programs"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.1003213003277779, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}