Trump Bans Biomedical Research in Other Countries

The U.S. government has funded gain-of-function research in China.

President Donald Trump on May 5 banned federal funding for gain-of-function research in other countries, including China, just weeks after his administration said that COVID-19 likely came from a Chinese laboratory that received U.S. funding.

โ€œItโ€™s a big deal,โ€ Trump said in the Oval Office while signing the executive order.

โ€œCould have been that we wouldnโ€™t have had the problem we had if we had this done earlier.โ€

The presidentโ€™s order forbids federal funds from supporting risky research, which is aimed at increasing pathogenicity or another function of a virus, in other countries unless there is proper oversight.

โ€œMany people believe that gain-of-function research was one of the key causes of the COVID pandemic,โ€ White House staffer Will Scharf said while handing the document to the president to sign.

According to the order, the new rules will protect Americans from potentially dangerous research that includes the manipulation of viruses, toxins, and other biological materials.

The regulations are constructed so as not to interfere with the nationโ€™s national security and readiness to respond to threats, White House officials said in a statement.

Changes are meant to improve enforcement, oversight, and transparency.

โ€œWhat this executive order does, first of all, it provides powerful new tools to enforce the ban on federal funding of gain-of-function research abroad,โ€ Scharf said.

โ€œIt also strengthens other oversight mechanisms … and creates an overarching strategy to ensure that biomedical research, in general, is being conducted safely and ultimately protects human health more.โ€

The directive empowers agencies to identify and rescind federal funding of any biological research that could endanger public health, safety, or security.

โ€œThese measures will drastically reduce the potential for lab-related incidents involving gain-of-function research, like that conducted on bat coronaviruses in China by the EcoHealth Alliance and Wuhan Institute of Virology,โ€ the White House said in a fact sheet.

The National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Agency for International Development provided more than $1 million in funds to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, via the EcoHealth Alliance group, for experimenting on bat coronaviruses.

The Chinese city that hosts the lab is the same city in which the first COVID-19 cases were identified.

โ€œBy nearly all measures of science, if there was evidence of a natural origin, it would have already surfaced. But it hasnโ€™t,โ€ the White House says on its website, which was updated in April.

Byย Zachary Stieberย andย Travis Gillmore

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Columns

Pesky 9/11 Conspiracies Remain Without Explanation!

Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson (R) recently appeared in an...

Targeting Military Installations, IP Theft: A Look at Criminal Cases Involving Chinese Students

Trump adminโ€™s pledge to โ€œaggressivelyโ€ revoke visas of Chinese students was made after years of concern over CCP efforts to infiltrate U.S. academia.

Alleged CCP Influence Operations Involve Paid Protesters in New York

Tactics used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to influence public perception in the United States appear to be evolving.

Big Tech Liberals are Using AI to Censor Conservatives

The Federal Trade Commission is gathering information to expose how technology platforms have violated the law in censoring Americans.

Unveiled: Gynocratsโ€™ Brave and Stunning Strategy to Woo Back Male Voters

Thereโ€™s nothing โ€” nothing โ€” that drives Democrats more bananas than...

News

New COVID Variant NB.1.8.1 Starting to Spread Worldwide: What We Know

WHO has said that the COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1 is causing more infections worldwide, as Chinaโ€™s health agency said itโ€™s the dominant variant.

Western Pennsylvania Communities Welcome New Steel Partnership, Trumpโ€™s Arrival at Rally

Steel workers and Pittsburgh community are looking forward to Trumpโ€™s rally at U.S. Steel Corpโ€™s Irvin Works, grateful for efforts to bolster local industries.

Barron Trump Didnโ€™t Apply to Harvard, White House Says

First Lady Melania Trump rejected speculation that Barron Trump was denied admission into Harvard, saying he didnโ€™t apply to the Ivy League school.

PCE Inflation Inches Closer to the Federal Reserveโ€™s 2 Percent Target

According to Bureau of Economic Analysis, PCE inflation slowed to 2.1% last month, from 2.3% in March, the lowest reading since September 2024.

Supreme Court Allows Trump Admin to Remove Parole Status of Immigrants From 4 Countries

Supreme Court temporarily stayed lower court decision halting Trump adminโ€™s removal of parole for immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

Mars Inc. Says It Removed Additive Targeted by RFK Jr. From Skittles

Skittles no longer contains titanium dioxide, identified as potentially problematic by RFKโ€™s commission report, candyโ€™s manufacturer said.

FBIโ€™s Bongino Says Agency Probing COVID-19 Origin Cover-Up as New Strain Drives Cases

FBI is investigating alleged cover-up of origins of COVID-19, agencyโ€™s deputy dir., Dan Bongino, said as a new strain of virus circulates in parts of the world.

SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Crypto Exchange Binance

SEC on May 29 voluntarily dismissed its civil lawsuit against cryptocurrency exchange Binance, following a nearly two-year legal battle.
spot_img

Related Articles