Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y., and The Humane Society of the United States hosted a briefing today for Members of Congress and staff on the Great Ape Protection Act (H.R. 1326) and the plight of chimpanzees in laboratories. The legislation, strongly supported by The HSUS, has been introduced by Chairman Towns along with Reps. Dave Reichert, R-Wash., Jim Langevin, D-R.I., and Roscoe Bartlett, D-Md., to phase out invasive research on great apes and calls for the retirement of approximately 500 government-owned chimpanzees to permanent sanctuary.
The use of chimpanzees in lab research has drastically declined in recent years due to past scientific failures, discovery of more viable alternatives, high financial costs, increased public outcry and ethical concerns. The vast majority of the 1,000 chimpanzees who remain in research facilities in the U.S. today are not even used in active experiments but are instead warehoused at an enormous taxpayer expense, rather than retired to sanctuary to peacefully live out their remaining years.
"Our closest living relatives deserve better than to be warehoused for decades in barren laboratory cages," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "The information our panel presents today should compel Congress to swiftly pass the Great Ape Protection Act and provide chimpanzees in laboratories freedom from harm and the life in sanctuary that they deserve, before their time runs out."
The findings of The HSUS' 9-month undercover investigation at the world's largest chimpanzee laboratory, the New Iberia Research Center in southwest Louisiana, were discussed at the briefing. Undercover footage from the investigation was shown as well, uncovering the psychological and physical suffering endured by chimpanzees in laboratories caused by solitary confinement, as well as painful procedures such as multiple liver biopsies.
The investigation gave the public a revealing look at what happens every day to chimps locked away in U.S. laboratories — some of whom have been subjected to inhumane conditions and cruel treatment for more than 50 years. The life these chimpanzees must endure and the wasted millions of federal dollars funneled to these laboratories each year are astonishing."
To learn more about chimpanzees in research, visit humanesociety.org/chimps.
Every citizen in the country needs to get behind this bill.
ReplyDeleteIf we the people can afford Billions to bail out banks and car makers, we certainly should be able to afford a nice retirement to these chimps that have given most of their lives on our "beahlf".
Yes they do! I have personally signed every petition I can find that's out there to help get this bill passed.If even 5 out of 10 people did that our president would be forced to enforce it. The problem is that, believe it or not, the USDA, which is a part of a government actually gives money to some of these labs, so to mandate the government with the government is a difficult task.
ReplyDeleteFor example years ago when they were classifying Chimps in the US, Animal Welfare groups wanted them to be classified as endangered in captivity. They had so many signatures, however there were a few Labs and one circus that fought this. The end result lead to a split classification. Chimps in captivity were classified as Threatened, wild chimps classified as Endangered. The reason why, is because Labs would not be allowed to experiment on Endangered animals. It's all political, unfortunately.
The bill is still sitting waiting for our president to sign it!!!