Ranking Member Shontel Brown’s Opening Remarks at Subcommittee Hearing on Animal Research
Washington, D.C. (February 6, 2025) - Below is Ranking Member Shontel Brown's opening statement, as prepared for delivery, at today's Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation hearing on animal research and testing.
Ranking Member Shontel Brown
Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation
"Transgender Lab Rats and Poisoned Puppies: Oversight of Taxpayer Funded Animal Cruelty"
February 6, 2025
Good afternoon and thank you to our three witnesses for being here today.
Chairwoman Mace, I enjoyed working with you last week to introduce a bipartisan bill to strengthen federal contractor cybersecurity. I was glad our teams were able to connect early into this new Congress, and - on a personal note - my team found your staff to be very responsive and helpful.
As the Ranking Member of this Subcommittee, I look forward to continuing to work with you to modernize and secure federal IT systems from potential cyberattacks. Bipartisan solutions like this are critical to protecting our federal systems from cyber threats. I look forward to finding more common ground and delivering results for the American people.
I'm looking forward to having a productive discussion today about scientific innovation and the need for additional oversight of and alternatives to animal testing.
Each year, millions of animals, including dogs, cats, and monkeys, are used worldwide for research and I think it's safe to assume that everyone here in this room would like to see that number reduced.
We are living in a moment where there have been extraordinary advancements in medical research, utilizing groundbreaking technology like artificial intelligence, 3-D bioprinting, and robotics, that allow us to reduce our reliance on animal testing. I'm especially proud that much of this innovation is happening in my district, OH-11, home to world-class research universities and medical institutions
Not only does this offer the chance to save animals from suffering - these methods can actually lead to better and more accurate results.
From a scientific perspective, one of the main issues with animal testing is that these trials often fail to produce results relevant to humans.
In fact, ninety percent of new drugs that are shown to work in animal models fail in human trials.
Dr. Locke, one of our witnesses here today, explained this phenomenon, saying, "that animal biology is just too different from human biology."
Because of this, a great deal of funding and time is wasted on experiments that ultimately do not translate to human trials.
By modernizing our research methods to avoid the use of animal subjects, we can also save precious taxpayer dollars.
Thankfully, there are viable alternatives that are more ethical, accurate, and efficient to study human biology and disease.
We now have the technology to effectively replicate organs in labs, allowing us to better see how the human body will respond to drugs and treatments.
We have machine learning systems that can analyze large sets of health data to develop predictive models of patient response.
We have the capabilities of 3-D printing tissue and muscle to test cosmetics, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals in a highly realistic way.
Just these few examples highlight the amazing work that has already been done, and the important need for continued investment in the medical field.
At the same time, we must institute strong oversight of the animal testing that is still occurring to ensure that our federal dollars are being used ethically and transparently and that harm to animals is minimized.
I believe it is our moral responsibility to advocate for animals who cannot speak for themselves. Last Congress, I was proud to cosponsor the Humane Cosmetics Act which addresses the use of animal testing in the cosmetic industry. This bill had massive bipartisan support, demonstrating the progress we can make in this area.
I look forward to hearing more from our witnesses on these important issues, and I look forward to hearings in the months to come on the important topics of cybersecurity, AI and government innovation.
Thank you.