If enacted, SB421 will change the federal funding landscape for institutes conducting research related to virology, particularly those in China. It proposes a suspension of financial support, which could significantly affect research collaborations, scientific information exchange, and overall health security strategies. This bill emphasizes a cautious approach to funding practices linked to foreign research facilities, especially those perceived as potentially hazardous to national and global health.
Summary
SB421, known as the 'Defund the Wuhan Institute of Virology Act', aims to prohibit any federal funding from being allocated to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. This bill reflects concerns surrounding the institute's affiliation with the Chinese government and potential health risks associated with research practices there. The legislation seeks to address funding transparency and accountability regarding federal dollars directed toward international entities, particularly those connected with China.
Contention
The bill has generated a debate regarding the balance between securing U.S. interests and international scientific collaboration. Proponents argue that it is crucial to halt financial support to entities that might pose a risk and to maintain strict oversight of where taxpayer funds are going, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversely, opponents suggest that this prohibition could hinder legitimate scientific research and cooperation, which are essential for addressing global health challenges. They warn that it may alienate scientists and diminish trust in U.S. research initiatives on the international stage.
Defund EcoHealth Alliance Act This bill prohibits the award of federal funds to EcoHealth Alliance, Inc (including any subsidiaries or related organizations). This is a nonprofit research organization that studies coronaviruses in bat populations and other environmental health concerns. The Government Accountability Office must also audit federal funds provided to that organization over the past decade. The audit must include the amount of those funds provided by EcoHealth Alliance to China, the Chinese Communist Party, or the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Defund EcoHealth Alliance Act This bill prohibits the award of federal funds to EcoHealth Alliance, Inc (including any subsidiaries or related organizations). This is a nonprofit research organization that studies coronaviruses in bat populations and other environmental health concerns. The Government Accountability Office must also audit federal funds provided to that organization over the past decade. The audit must include the amount of those funds provided by EcoHealth Alliance to China, the Chinese Communist Party, or the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
World Deserves To Know Act This bill requires sanctions on certain members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and officials of Chinese health agencies. It also addresses related issues. The President must impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on any foreign person who is a CCP official and who is knowingly responsible for or complicit in (1) the disappearances of whistleblowers and citizen journalists in China relating to COVID-19, or (2) limiting free speech and academic freedom in China relating to COVID-19. The President must also impose such sanctions on specified individuals who have leadership positions in China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention and China's National Health Commission (NHC). The authority to impose such sanctions shall end when the President certifies to Congress that an independent and unimpeded investigation into the potential origin of COVID-19 from the Wuhan Institute of Virology has taken place. The bill also bars federal funds and certain federal student assistance from going to institutions of higher education that enter into a contract with any element or China-based affiliate of the NHC. Federal funding to the National Academy of Sciences may not be used to enter into a contract with any element or China-based affiliate of the NHC. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress a review of all funds that the National Institutes of Health have made available to the NHC since FY2010. This report must also be publicly available.