Official U.S. Senate voting records and announcements

Senators Push for Stricter Oversight After Fauci's February 2020 Gain-of-Function Meeting

Oct 9, 2024, 06:21 PM

Dr. Anthony Fauci met with virologist Ralph Baric in February 2020 to discuss Gain-of-Function research and the regulatory oversight of Baric's work with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which had not been properly regulated by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). This meeting highlighted the need for stricter oversight and regulation of such research. Senator Rand Paul has been vocal about the risks associated with Gain-of-Function research and has accused Fauci of lying to Congress about the involvement of Baric and EcoHealth Alliance in risky COVID-19 research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In response, Paul, along with Senator Gary Peters, has introduced the bipartisan Risky Research Review Act, which aims to prevent future lab-generated pandemics by ensuring more stringent review processes for high-risk research. Advocacy groups are urging the public to support the bill to safeguard against future pandemics and are calling for its passage by unanimous consent.