NARN Statement

re: HHS Considering Closure of Primate Centers

For Immediate Release

Contact: Amanda Elyse, Policy and Programs Lead, NARN, amanda.elyse@narn.org

On the December 20, 2025, episode of My View with Lara Trump, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., stated that the department is considering ending the importation of primates for use in research and turning National Primate Research Centers into sanctuaries. There are currently seven NPRCs across the U.S., including the Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC) at the University of Washington.

The Northwest Animal Rights Network provides the following response:

“For decades, NARN has campaigned to shut down the Washington National Primate Research Center. It has spent years racking up violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act, which have added to the nightmare that primates already experience as a result of being caged and subjected to invasive and deadly experiments. An end to this primate center, and the six others across the country, would be a welcome relief not only to the primates, but to everyone who wants to see research funding be redirected towards modern, innovative, human-relevant research that will benefit human health. Every year for the last several years, the WaNPRC has had around a thousand primates in its custody for experiments and breeding. That number for the coming years should be zero.”