Americans remain at risk from deadly, genetically engineered, lab-created pathogens. The COVID-19 pandemic, responsible for the deaths of nearly 1.2 million Americans, likely originated in a laboratory experiment that juiced the lethality and contagiousness of coronaviruses in China. Subsequently, we also learned that National Institutes of Health officials failed to monitor federal grants to institutions in China that were undoubtedly engaged in such viral experimentation to create dangerous pathogens.
Noting the NIH failures, congressional investigators emphasized the need for another layer of protection. Likewise, in February 2025, we proposed, among other things, that the Trump administration stop funding all such risky biological research, especially overseas. We also argued for a transfer of final authority to approve grants for such research from NIH to an independent commission for final review and approval.
