CARGO Act of 2025

This bill would stop the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from funding any research that uses live animals if that research happens outside the United States. It covers all types of NIH support, including grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and technical help. The United States here includes the 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories. The bill is based on findings that NIH sent about $2.2 billion for animal research to foreign organizations from 2011–2021, and that NIH does not inspect these foreign sites, which can lead to unreliable self-reporting and animal mistreatment overseas.

Key points:

• Who is affected: NIH-funded researchers and institutions, especially those outside the U.S..
• What changes: NIH could not fund live-animal research done outside the U.S.; only projects conducted within the U.S., D.C., or U.S. territories could receive support.
• Why: Congress cites lack of inspections abroad and risks of animal welfare violations and misreported information.