Joco Today

U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, representing Kansas, has introduced the Dangerous Viral Gain of Function Research Moratorium Act. This legislation seeks to immediately stop gain-of-function (GOF) research, which involves altering viruses or organisms to change their transmissibility or pathogenicity. The introduction of this bill comes amid concerns that COVID-19 may have originated from GOF research conducted in Wuhan, China. Senator Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee is a cosponsor of the proposed legislation.

Senator Marshall emphasized the need for transparency and accountability from the federal government concerning the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. He stated that halting current and future GOF research is necessary due to safety issues. "History has proven that viruses can escape even the most secure labs, and gain-of-function research can kill more people than a nuclear weapon," said Senator Marshall. He further noted that this act is crucial to stopping federal funding for what he describes as "irresponsible, high-risk work."

Senator Blackburn added her perspective on the matter by reflecting on lessons learned from the COVID pandemic: "If the COVID pandemic taught us anything, it’s that we cannot allow gain-of-function research to do more harm than good." She stressed that this legislation would pause all federal grants for risky GOF research until there are improved oversight and guaranteed safety measures.

Dr. Steven Quay, CEO of Atossa Therapeutics and a physician-scientist, supported the bill by calling it a sensible approach to preventing future pandemics caused by laboratory-acquired infections.

The text of the bill is available for public reading.