2024 Animal Research Hill Day
Sample Thank You Note to Congressional Offices
Please thank the Congressional staff you met with!
Hill Day Resources
| Issue Briefing Agenda | Programming for Monday, March 18. |
| Issue Briefing Slides | PDF of slides from the March 18th briefing. |
| APA Advocacy Training Videos | Helpful for first-time advocates! |
| Pitch Practice Worksheet | Use this worksheet to develop the pitch you will present in your Congressional meetings. |
| Talking Points Worksheet | Please fill out the Talking Points Worksheet to help prepare for your meetings in advance. |
| Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Fact Sheet | This fact sheet explains how animal research yields a crucial understanding of and treatments for Alzheimer's Disease. |
| Nonhuman Primates Research Fact Sheet | This fact sheet explains how behavioral research with primates is advancing solutions for health conditions. |
| Animal Research Alternatives Fact Sheet | This fact sheet explains how animal research cannot be replaced by limited alternatives. |
| Meeting Schedule | List of meetings scheduled for Friday, March 22nd. |
| FY2025 Report Language | Language inserted in Veterans Affairs FY25 appropriations report. |
Additional Resources
| Medical Benefits of Animal Research | Read this Speaking of Research blog for examples of how animal research has benefited the development of various medical treatments. |
| Animal Research Saves Lives | Read this fact sheet from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology for more examples of how animal research improves the lives of both humans and animals. |
| Addressing misconceptions about animal research | This page from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology addresses common misconceptions and frequently asked questions about animal research. |
| Animal Research FAQs | This page from the Foundation for Biomedical Research provides answers to frequently asked questions about animal research. |
| Canine Research Talking Points | This fact sheet provides talking points and statistics specifically about canine research that you may find useful for your Hill visits. |
| APA Letter Opposing Legislation Prohibiting Canine Research by VA | This letter, which APA Services submitted to the leadership of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, provides a detailed explanation of our opposition to legislation banning the use of canine research. |
| NIH funding by state | This document lists how much NIH funding each of your states received in fiscal year (FY) 2022. |
Virtual Palm Card
Hill Day Requests | |
House | Senate |
| Oppose the Humane and Existing Alternatives in Research and Testing Sciences (HEARTS) Act of 2022 (H.R. 1024). | Oppose legislation similar to H.R. 1024 if introduced in the Senate. |
Request: Oppose H.R. 1024
Sample Talking Points:
- The bill would create unnecessary burdens on researchers and NIH, such as tracking numbers and species of animals, that take away from their efforts to solve key challenges facing society.
- The reporting provisions are unnecessary because the use of animals in research is already highly regulated and transparent, with data from public reports available. Additionally, labs are regularly inspected to ensure the safety and well-being of animals.
- The bill’s creation of an NIH center to promote alternatives to animal research is duplicative and has problematic implications.
- It is duplicative because:
- Scientists who wish to develop alternatives to research with animals can already apply to NIH for funding.
- Any successful alternatives will be used in science, and where applicable some already are in use.
- It is problematic because it would prioritize funding for alternative methods over animal research. While well-meaning, alternative methods are not effective substitutes for all uses of animals in research.
- The implications of animal research are far-reaching, including treatment for trauma, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and many other health issues. Beyond health, animal research can teach us a lot about learning and memory processes, language development and much more. It has benefits for broad swaths of society.
- We are asking you to trust existing NIH processes to decide when animal research is warranted.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I prepare for the Hill Day?
All information for the Hill Day, including our legislative requests, fact sheets, agenda, and participant list can be found on this action center. If you are not seeing the information you are looking for, please check back later - this page will be updated as we receive more information.
If you are new to advocacy or would like a refresher, please watch APA’s Federal Advocacy for Psychology video.
Do I have to schedule my Hill visits?
No. APA Advocacy staff are handling all scheduling for legislative hill visits.
What if I can no longer make the Hill visits?
Please contact Pat Kobor at pkobor@apa.org as soon as possible so we may remove you from the congressional meeting schedule.
What platform is the Issue Briefing utilizing?
The Issue Briefing will be hosted on Zoom. Please ensure that you have the most current Zoom version (5.14) by downloading the recent client for meetings here.
How can I attend the Issue Briefing?
All participants may join the Issue Briefing via zoom at 1:00 - 2:30 pm EDT on March 18 by clicking this link.
What is the program for the Issue Briefing?
The program for the Issue Briefing is available here.