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Over 90% of the animals used in experimentation are purposely excluded from protection under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), the only federal law which over sees [[animal testing]]. Rats, mice, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish are not covered and expressly eliminated from all safeguards. Species not covered under the AWA do not even have to be reported. <ref>U.S. Department of Agriculture [http://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_welfare/content/printable_version/faq_awusda.pdf The Animal Care Program and the USDA's Authority Under the AWA: Q & A], APHIS Fact Sheet, July 2005, page 2</ref> The Senate accepted an amendment introduced by the late Jesse Helms, a republican senator from North Carolina, to bar the [[U.S. Department of Agriculture]] (USDA) from including these animals under the AWA. <ref>[[Humane Society of the United States]] [http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/us_senate_passes_farm_bill_addressing_animal_fighting_puppy_mills_farm_animals_and_bears.html U.S. Senate Passes Farm Bill Addressing Animal Fighting, Puppy Mills, Farm Animals and Bears], [[Humane Society of the United States]], February 2002</ref> See also [[animal testing]], section 2.1.

The NAIA Trust lobbied in favor of the Helms USDA Farm bill amendment. NAIA Trust proposed to "protect the biomedical research community" from the U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA and its "unwarranted and cost prohibitive oversight". According to the NAIA Trust:

The NAIA Trust does not elaborate on why humane standards should be a "regulation nightmare" nor their uncharacteristic concern for taxpayers. The NAIA lobbies aggressively against spay/neuter, breeding restrictions and licensing fees; all of which ease tax burdens. Every year, communities spend millions of dollars and vast amounts of volunteer hours coping with surplus pets. <ref>HSUS [http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/pet_overpopulation_and_ownership_statistics/the_crisis_of_pet_overpopulation.html The Crisis of Pet Overpopulation], May 2007</ref> Industries represented by the NAIA include factory farming, rodeos, foie gras, hunting, fur ranching, trapping and [[animal testing]]; all tax payer subsidized. <ref>Mark Hawthorn, [http://www.opednews.com/articles/2/opedne_mark_haw_080226_spoiler_alert_3a_10_th.htm Spoiler Alert: 10 Things Animal Exploiters Do Not Want You to Know], Oped News, Febrary 2008</ref> Tragically, the [[National Institutes of Health]] (NIH) spends hundreds of millions of dollars every year funding a bottomless pit of animal research duplication, that accomplishes nothing more than funneling tax dollars into nationally known laboratories. In fact, many research facilities receive well over $100 million yearly and some laboratories approach $200 million in grants from the NIH, the primary funder for animal research in the U.S. A 2001 audit for 30 facilities revealed that approximately 56% received over 100 million per year from the NIH for animal research. <ref>Micheal A. Budkie [http://www.all-creatures.org/wlalw/report-anexp-audit.html The Animal Experimentation Scandal: An Audit of the NIH: Funding of Animal Experimentation: Audit Findings], Stop Animal Exploitation NOW!, 2001</ref> See also [[U.S. Government's War on Animals]], section 4.