Sen. James Lankford’s ninth annual "Federal Fumbles" report highlights several federal research programs it describes as wasteful or controversial. The report flags about $240 million in animal studies alleged to model transgender conditions, roughly $53 million tied to fetal-tissue research (17 active grants at disclosure), and $124,000 sent to China for beagle testing. Lankford urges Congress to pass laws and tighten oversight to prevent such projects from resuming under future administrations.
Senate GOP 'Federal Fumbles' Report Flags $240M In Controversial Animal Studies, Calls For Congressional Action
Sen. James Lankford found several eye-popping instances of federal waste in his annual "Federal Fumbles" report.(Getty Images)
A new Republican Senate report, the ninth annual "Federal Fumbles," catalogues what Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) describes as wasteful or questionable federal spending over the past year. The report highlights multimillion-dollar grants tied to animal research described as modeling transgender conditions, contracts that sent U.S. funds to Chinese laboratories for beagle testing, and continued funding for research using human fetal tissue.
Report Overview
Compiled by Sen. Lankford’s office, the report lists examples of what it characterizes as waste, fraud and abuse across federal programs and recommends steps to increase oversight and restrict certain research activities. Lankford framed the report as part of a broader GOP effort to improve government efficiency and accountability.
"Too often, the federal government is gridlocked, unresponsive and inefficient," Lankford wrote in the report. "We must continue pushing through bureaucratic red tape to make the government work better for you, the taxpayer."
President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Feb. 7, 2023.
Contested Grants and Research
One prominent entry cites roughly $240 million in grants that Lankford’s report says funded animal experiments involving mice, rats and monkeys to model transgender conditions by using hormone regimens and surgical procedures. The report states that the grant program was later terminated; the report attributes that action to a department it refers to as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The report also raises concerns about funding for research using human fetal tissue obtained from elective abortions. It says the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded about $53 million in such grants in 2024 and that 17 awards remained active when the funding was publicly revealed. Lankford’s office says NIH canceled those grants after they were exposed by the watchdog group White Coat Waste Project, and that subsequent action by the administration halted additional fetal-tissue research programs.
International Contracts
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Mar-a-Lago, Feb. 1, 2026, in Palm Beach, Florida.
Another item notes approximately $124,000 in taxpayer funds that went to China for drug research described in the report as involving "up to 300 beagles per week." According to the report, NIH officials chose not to renew a related contract after the work drew national scrutiny, but the report warns that multiple Chinese laboratories remain approved to receive U.S. funding.
Policy Recommendations
Lankford’s report urges Congress to enact stronger statutory restrictions and oversight mechanisms to prevent the resumption of controversial research under future administrations. It argues that without clear legal limits, taxpayer-funded projects deemed "immoral" or "scientifically obsolete" by the report could be restarted.
Context and Attribution
Many of the claims in the "Federal Fumbles" report are presented from the senator’s perspective and rely on investigations and findings cited by his office and allied watchdog groups. Readers should note that the report’s characterizations—such as the aims of specific animal studies and the existence or role of particular agency actions—are those reported by Sen. Lankford’s team and may be contested by other stakeholders.
Help us improve.
