BREAKING: KITTEN Act aims to defund USDA cat killing

UPDATE (4/2/19): Following a year-long White Coat Waste Project campaign, the USDA announced that its kitten slaughterhouse will close permanently and the 14 surviving cats will be adopted out. Read more.

Original post (05/11/18)

Just days after White Coat Waste Project’s new exposé of USDA’s deadly taxpayer-funded kitten experiments, Congressman Mike Bishop (R-MI)–who was instrumental in breaking the investigation–has joined forces with House Agriculture Committee member Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) to introduce a bill to end this waste and abuse. As first reported by CNN, the bipartisan pair introduced the Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now (KITTEN) Act to permanently end all of USDA’s painful taxpayer-funded experiments on cats.

Earlier this week, Rep. Bishop appeared on CNN’s Headline News to discuss the controversy and what he’s doing to fight for taxpayers and kittens:

In a media statement about the KITTEN Act, Rep. Bishop explained,

“I’m proud to introduce the bipartisan KITTEN Act to put a stop to USDA’s tax-funded experiments on cats and kittens. My constituents and other Americans have made it clear that they don’t want the federal government spending their hard-earned tax dollars to abuse and kill cats in cruel, inhumane and outdated experiments. The USDA must stop killing kittens, and I hope to work collaboratively with the agency towards that goal.”

Congressman Panetta told reporters,

“This common sense, bipartisan bill will require the USDA to adhere to the same animal welfare standards that the department is charged to uphold. While I strongly support scientific research, taxpayer money and federal resources should be spent on advancing scientific research in an ethical manner, not on inflicting pain on innocent kittens in outdated experiments. I hope this bill helps us get closer to ending this cruel practice.”