Schiff, Blumenauer Lead House Members in Urging USDA Scrutiny of Elon Musk’s Neuralink
Following recent reports of egregious animal welfare violations at Elon Musk’s medical device company, Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) led a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture urging the agency to exert proper oversight of USDA-inspected facilities.
“At the time of this letter, serious allegations have been leveled against Elon Musk’s company Neuralink… These complaints include graphic descriptions of botched experiments and unnecessary animal suffering and death, reportedly as a result of pressure from Mr. Musk to irresponsibly accelerate development of the company’s products at the expense of animal safety,” the lawmakers wrote.
“Your Agency, specifically the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, has not issued any citations against Neuralink, however the treatment of the animals described in these complaints seems to indicate a distressing lack of oversight,” the lawmakers continued. “We are very concerned that this may be another example of high-profile cases of animal cruelty involving USDA inspected facilities, referenced in previous letters to your Agency, where there has not been adequate action from USDA.”
To read the full letter, click here or read the full text below:
Dear Secretary Vilsack and Administrator Shea:
We appreciate your continued engagement with the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus to discuss animal welfare and the enforcement of our foundational animal welfare laws.
We again write to you with continued concern regarding complaints made against facilities that are subject to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspections but face serious allegations that they are not in compliance with the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) or its regulations.
At the time of this letter, serious allegations have been leveled against Elon Musk’s company Neuralink, which tests its products on animals including monkeys, sheep, pigs, and rats. According to a recent report from Reuters, more than 20 Neuralink employees as well as investigators from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine have cited complaints which are now the subject of a formal probe by the USDA’s Office of Inspector General. These complaints include graphic descriptions of botched experiments and unnecessary animal suffering and death, reportedly as a result of pressure from Mr. Musk to irresponsibly accelerate development of the company’s products at the expense of animal safety. The AWA, which the USDA is responsible for enforcing, plainly requires a certain standard of care with regard to animals at research facilities – including that pain and distress be minimized and alternatives to animal testing be considered.
Your Agency, specifically the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, has not issued any citations against Neuralink, however the treatment of the animals described in these complaints seems to indicate a distressing lack of oversight. We are very concerned that this may be another example of high-profile cases of animal cruelty involving USDA inspected facilities, referenced in previous letters to your Agency, where there has not been adequate action from USDA. The Inspector General’s investigation is vital to shedding light on the unnecessary animal suffering and deaths Neuralink’s work may be causing, and whether violations of any Animal Welfare Act standards went unreported or overlooked.
Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to staying apprised of the status and progress of the Inspector General’s probe.
Sincerely,
Adam Schiff
Earl Blumenauer
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