The NIH is working hard to rebrand its image after Fauci’s legacy of animal torture, risky research, and lies finally came to light and left the agency’s reputation in shambles. Unfortunately, much of the public relations work is turning out to be “all hat and no cattle” as they say in Texas — particularly when it comes to eliminating taxpayer-funded animal torture.

Last week, Acting NIH Deputy Director Nicole Kleinstreuer announced that the “NIH will no longer seek proposals exclusively for animal models.” PETA, which mainly functions as a cover for government bad actors at this point in time, began clapping like trained seals.

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Per usual, there was more to the story, and the White Coat Waste Project (the only animal welfare organization that has actually shut down government animal labs in decades) was there to do the real work of holding these bureaucrats accountable. As they quickly pointed out, the NIH announcement doesn’t cut a single animal lab or even one animal.

In fact, the NIH never said that it won’t accept or fund proposals that only include animal testing, and it also never said it would not continue to fund animal labs. This is a basic reading comprehension test PETA couldn’t wait to fail as it tripped over itself to cozy up to power. 

The NIH has not said it won’t accept or fund proposals that only include animal testing. And it will continue to fund animal labs. It just won’t issue requests for proposals asking exclusively for animal testing (as it has in the past). There is no NIH prohibition or restriction on funding animal testing.

Others in the media have noticed this, and when pressed on the matter by NPR, Kleinstreuer herself admitted, “We have no intention of just phasing out animal studies overnight. We know that animal studies are still very important and often scientifically justified.”

The thing is, no they aren’t.

Congress also disagrees and responded accordingly given the blatantly defiant nature of NIH leaders in their continued pursuit to torture animals. Trump himself has advocated for the NIH to cease this work and slash its budget, and a large, bipartisan group of congressional leaders has been doing its part to end this insanity.

In a new letter, eleven Republican House members wrote to Trump’s NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya demanding the cancellation of funding for all Fauci-era dog and cat labs and the prohibition of all future NIH funding for dog and cat experiments. The letter also requests a list of all active NIH funding for dog and cat testing.

The lawmakers’ letter cites White Coat Waste’s ongoing investigation exposing how the NIH is lagging behind Trump’s other agencies in cutting wasteful animal labs and how the NIH has been extending millions in Fauci-funded grants and contracts for dog and cat experiments.

White Coat Waste has also refused to bend the knee like other “animal welfare” organizations and has continued ringing the alarm on this sleight of hand.

Anthony Bellotti, the group’s founder and president, said, “Trump and RFK want the $48 billion NIH budget slashed by 40 percent, but instead the agency just keeps spending new money on animal labs and has defiantly doubled down.” 

Bellotti continued, “the NIH is renewing millions in Fauci-era payouts to labs where beagles are force-fed experimental drugs, injected with cocaine, and infested with ticks and where cats have their eyes sewn shut and are infected with COVID. Meanwhile, Trump agencies like the Pentagon, VA, and EPA are cutting and banning wasteful animal experiments following WCW investigations and the FDA has released a phase-out timeline for animal tests.”

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It’s embarrassing to watch legacy animal rights groups fall all over themselves to excuse the NIH’s stunt. Fortunately, better organizations like the White Coat Waste Project are stepping in and exposing what our government is doing, no matter which party is in power. And the public is responding. 

Eliminating taxpayer-funded animal torture is no left-wing, crunchy issue. It’s something the vast majority of Americans agree on because it is ethically wrong, unnecessary, and (as we saw with COVID) can lead to mass tragedy for humans and animals alike.