Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States Government should immediately place a moratorium on all federally funded gain-of-function research given the increased safety concerns.

Health

senate

Introduced on June 4, 2024 by Roger Wayne Marshall

Cosponsors

Legislation Details

The resolution expresses the Senate’s view that the U.S. Government should place an immediate moratorium on all federally funded gain-of-function research due to increased safety concerns.
It references the Obama Administration’s pause on new gain-of-function research in 2014 due to biosafety and biosecurity concerns.
It notes incidents of laboratory accidents and calls from the scientific community for a reassessment of the risks and benefits of gain-of-function research.
It details the continuation of gain-of-function research funding through grants to organizations like EcoHealth Alliance, which collaborated with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and East China Normal University.
It mentions NIH and NIAID’s continued support for gain-of-function research during the Obama Administration’s pause and the subsequent lifting of the ban without alerting senior White House officials.
It discusses concerns about the potential link between funded research and the COVID-19 pandemic, including sickness among WIV researchers and delayed notification of the outbreak by the Chinese government.
It outlines NIH’s actions regarding EcoHealth Alliance’s grant, including termination, reinstatement with conditions, and eventual suspension due to noncompliance and failure to report gain-of-function research findings accurately.
It criticizes NIH’s updated definition of gain-of-function research and the handling of EcoHealth Alliance’s grant and reporting.
It mentions the Biden Administration’s removal of certain pathogens from the category of pandemic potential, affecting oversight of gain-of-function research.
It reports on official debarment proceedings against EcoHealth Alliance and the suspension of federal funds to Peter Daszak.
It references assessments by the FBI and the Department of Energy that the COVID-19 pandemic likely resulted from a lab leak at the WIV.
It criticizes NIH and NIAID for their oversight failures and calls for Congressional and Executive action to increase transparency and oversight of grant management.
It concludes with a call for Congress to consider legislation that would define gain-of-function research and prohibit federal funding for such research at institutions conducting it.

Last updated 8/27/2024