When speaking with a Member of Congress it is important to be clear about what you are asking of them. We generally ask Congress to support a strong federal investment in biomedical research. This argument should be bolstered with examples of scientific research that enhance our understanding of human health and disease. Below is an example of one way to approach this:
The Request:
We are asking you to support strong federal investment in biomedical research. We also want to ensure that Congress does not pass legislation placing unwarranted restrictions on research with animals because that would limit our ability to answer crucial scientific questions.
Talking Points:
These talking points explain the rationale for the request. In your conversation with a Member of Congress or their staff, you should enhance these points should with examples from your own experience and your institution.
- Federally-funded research is crucial for biomedical discovery
Breakthroughs in basic and translational research are the foundation for new drugs and therapies that help patients, fuel our economy, and provide jobs.
The federal government is the primary funding source for discovery research through competitive grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and Department of Veterans Affairs. The research takes place at colleges, universities, and medical centers throughout the country.
U.S. leadership in the biomedical sciences is due to this federal investment in discovery research. The private sector partners with NIH to develop research findings into new treatments but only the federal government funds discovery research itself.
University-based research programs also create opportunities to train new scientists to become the innovators of the future. If government science agencies are cut, our community will suffer.
- Finding answers is the key to finding cures
Research with animals is a crucial step towards discovering how to diagnose, treat, prevent, and cure disease. Knowledge gained through animal research has saved many lives and improved the quality of life for millions of people and animals. The benefits flow both ways because what we learn about human health also helps animals.
Before we can cure a disease, we have to understand its causes and effects. Scientists do this by asking questions and then figuring out how to answer them. Computer models, cell cultures, and observations or experiments with molecules, genes, tissues, organs, and animals all have a role to play in answering different kinds of questions.
- Balancing science and humane concerns
Biomedical researchers support humane treatment of animals because they are responsible for the care of animals in their charge. This is a legal requirement, a scientific necessity, and it is the right thing to do. At the same time, scientists are doing the research in the first place because of their ethical duty to relieve human suffering.
Animal research is subject to strict regulatory oversight. Oversight authorities include the USDA (Animal Welfare Act); Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals); and the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, International, which accredits research facilities.
Regulatory burden is a growing problem. Scientific advancement and humane concerns should be balanced through science-based regulations that rely upon the informed judgment of professionals such as laboratory animal veterinarians and scientists.