STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 55 (Tuesday, March 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S1581-S1583] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS ______ By Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Mr. Peters): S. 4172. A bill to amend the Animal Welfare Act to allow for the retirement of certain animals used in Federal research, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Ms. Collins. Mr. President, I am pleased to join my colleague from Michigan Senator Peters in introducing the Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act, known as the AFTER Act, to promote the adoption or retirement of animals used for research by Federal Agencies. In fiscal year 2024, the Federal Government experimented on approximately 775,000 animals for research purposes. These experiments occurred across 12 different Federal Agencies. the animals used were mainly cats, dogs, monkeys, and rabbits. Tracking these animals following experimentation is challenging. In many instances, animals no longer needed for research are killed since many Agencies lack formal retirement or adoption policies. Peer-reviewed studies indicate that research animals that are adopted, however, often thrive in their new environments. In 2013, led by Senators Harkin, Alexander, Cantwell and myself, the Senate passed the CHIMP Act, which allowed for the retirement of hundreds of primates that were formerly used in National Institute of Health, NIH, experiments. In addition, the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, [[Page S1582]] FDA, and NIH have already enacted successful animal retirement policies. While I am encouraged by the Senate's past work on primates and the policies developed by a few Federal Agencies, there are many other Federal Agencies, including the Agriculture Department, NASA, and the Environmental Protection Agency, that lack formal policies for animals used in experiments. Given the recent efforts at the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health to phase out animal testing for certain research, we should make sure that every Federal Agency that utilizes laboratory animals establishes policies to ensure that such animals, whenever possible, are retired and not killed when they are no longer needed for research. The AFTER Act builds on successful policies at DOD, VA, and NIH by directing all Federal Agencies to promulgate regulations that would facilitate the retirement of laboratory animals. Additionally, the AFTER Act requires that animals be evaluated by a licensed veterinarian and pronounced both mentally and physically healthy before leaving an Agency. This will help ensure a smooth transition to a new environment. Our legislation also encourages Federal Agencies to work with nonprofit organizations to help place retired animals in sanctuaries and shelters across the country, not just those closest to the research facility. This would allow a State like Maine, which does not have Federal research labs that use animals, to play a role in retiring these animals and providing homes for them. Mr. President, animals that are suitable for adoption or retirement should not be killed by our Federal Government. The AFTER Act would provide the necessary direction Federal Agencies need in order to move forward with developing retirement policies. I urge all of my colleagues to join in support of this important bipartisan legislation, the Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act. ______ By Mr. BARRASSO (for himself and Ms. Lummis): S. 4173. A bill to require that any debt limit increase or suspension be balanced by equal spending cuts over the next decade; to the Committee on the Budget. S. 4173 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Dollar-for-Dollar Deficit Reduction Act''. SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO TITLE 31. (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 31 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 3101A the following: ``Sec. 3101B. Debt limit control ``(a) Declaration of a Debt Limit Warning.-- ``(1) In general.--In the event of a near breach of the public debt limit established by section 3101, the Secretary of the Treasury shall issue a debt limit warning to the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives that shall include a determination as to when extraordinary measures may be necessary in order to prolong the funding of the United States Government. ``(2) Definitions.--In this subsection: ``(A) Extraordinary measures.--The term `extraordinary measures' means measures that may be taken by the Secretary of the Treasury in the event of a breach of the debt limit by the United States to prolong the function of the United States Government in the absence of a debt limit increase. ``(B) Near breach.--The term `near breach' means the point at which the Secretary of the Treasury determines that the United States Government will reach the statutorily prescribed debt limit within 60 calendar days notwithstanding the implementation of extraordinary measures. ``(b) Presidential Submission of Debt Limit Legislation.-- ``(1) Savings recommendations from the president.--Any formal Presidential request to increase the debt limit under this section shall include the amount of the proposed debt limit increase and be accompanied by proposed legislation to reduce spending over the sum of the current and following 10 years by an amount equal to or greater than the amount of the requested debt limit increase. Net interest savings may not be counted towards spending reductions required by this paragraph. ``(2) Calculation.--The spending savings under paragraph (1) shall be calculated against a budget baseline consistent with section 257 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 907). This baseline shall exclude the extrapolation of any spending that had been enacted under an emergency designation.''. (b) Subchapter Analysis.--The table of sections for chapter 31 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item for section 3101A the following: ``3101B. Debt limit control.''. SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL REQUIREMENT TO RESTRAIN SPENDING WHILE RAISING OR SUSPENDING THE DEBT LIMIT. (a) In General.--Title III of the Congressional Budget Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``SEC. 316. DEBT LIMIT INCREASE POINT OF ORDER. ``(a) In General.-- ``(1) Point of order.--Except as provided in subsection (b), it shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, joint resolution, amendment, motion, or conference report that increases the statutory debt limit unless the bill contains net spending reductions of an equal or greater amount over the period of the current and next 10 fiscal years. Net interest savings may not be counted towards spending reductions required by this paragraph. ``(2) Components of net spending reduction.-- ``(A) Calculation.--The savings resulting from the proposed spending reductions under paragraph (1) shall be calculated by the Congressional Budget Office against a budget baseline consistent with section 257 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. This baseline shall exclude the extrapolation of any spending that had been enacted under an emergency designation. ``(B) Availability.--The Senate and the House of Representatives may not vote on any bill, joint resolution, amendment, motion, or conference report that increases the public debt limit unless the cost estimate of that measure prepared by the Congressional Budget Office has been publicly available on the website of the Congressional Budget Office for at least 24 hours. ``(C) Prohibit timing shifts.--Any provision that shifts outlays or revenues from within the 10-year window to outside the window shall not count towards the budget savings target for purposes of this subsection. ``(b) Senate Supermajority Waiver and Appeal.-- ``(1) Waiver.--In the Senate, subsection (a)(1) may be waived or suspended only by an affirmative vote of three- fifths of the Members, duly chosen and sworn. ``(2) Appeal.--An affirmative vote of three-fifths of the Members of the Senate, duly chosen and sworn, shall be required to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the Chair on a point of order raised under subsection (a)(1). ``SEC. 317. DEBT LIMIT SUSPENSION POINT OF ORDER. ``(a) In General.-- ``(1) Point of order.--Except as provided in subsection (b), it shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, joint resolution, amendment, motion, or conference report that suspends the statutory debt limit unless the bill contains net spending reductions over the period of the current and next 10 fiscal years in an amount that is equal to or greater than the projected debt amount for the period of the suspension of the statutory debt limit as determined by the Congressional Budget Office in accordance with paragraph (3). Net interest savings may not be counted towards spending reductions required by this paragraph. ``(2) Components of net spending reduction.-- ``(A) Calculation.--The savings resulting from the proposed spending reductions under paragraph (1) shall be calculated by the Congressional Budget Office against a budget baseline consistent with section 257 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. This baseline shall exclude the extrapolation of any spending that had been enacted under an emergency designation. ``(B) Availability.--The Senate and the House of Representatives may not vote on any bill, joint resolution, amendment

Referenced legislation: S4172, S4173, S4181