Last month, Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, sent a letter to Dr. Anthony Fauci in relation to disturbing accounts of taxpayer-funded animal abuse. The letter, signed by 24 members of Congress, calls into question $1.68 million spent by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to test the efficacy of a drug in beagle puppies.

The allegations that the U.S. government funded unnecessary and cruel tests on young animals are sickening. The actions described in documents obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request are not only inexcusable — they represent a stain on our nation’s moral character.