Ernst Goes to Bat-tle Against Biden Decision to Re-Fund EcoHealth's Dangerous Research

Press Release

"In a March 2021 letter to the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG), I outlined EcoHealth's ongoing violations of the Stevens Amendment, which prompted a broader audit of EcoHealth's use of taxpayer dollars. The OIG found that NIH failed to effectively monitor EcoHealth's studies on bat coronaviruses performed in the WIV, which resulted in the creation of enhanced pathogens. As you know, many experts believe a lab leak related to these studies may have unleashed the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite these scathing findings, EcoHealth continues to violate longstanding federal law mandating that all projects supported with taxpayer dollars publicly disclose the costs and to conduct dangerous experiments on coronaviruses collected from bats with the financial backing of the NIH.

Given EcoHealth's well-documented and persistent refusal to comply with federal laws, adhere to the terms of government grants, and irresponsible behavior conducting risky research in unsafe labs, I would urge you to immediately debar EcoHealth from receiving any additional taxpayer dollars in order to stop its dangerous experiments before the public's health is put at risk, possibly for a second time."

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