WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate has passed a motion to instruct conferees on H.R.4521, to retain the language originally introduced by Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) as an amendment to S.1260 and passed by the Senate in May 2021 that prohibits funds made available to any federal agency from being used for gain of function research conducted in China.

“Even as Dr. Fauci denies it, there is strong evidence COVID-19 started in a lab in Wuhan," said Dr. Paul.

"But if we have learned anything from this pandemic, it’s that risky virus-enhancing research – like the type conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, also funded by the U.S. government – is an unnecessary form of science that could lead to the death of millions of people. This vote brings us one step closer to ensuring that this never happens in the future and prohibits taxpayer dollars from being used to fund dangerous and unnecessary research in China."

Dr. Paul’s motion calls for conferees to retain the Paul amendment the Senate adopted by voice vote on May 25, 2021, to S. 1260, the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021. That amendment would prevent federal taxpayer dollars from being used for gain-of-function research in China.