Sen. Joni Ernst proposes FAUCI Act to increase funding transparency

DES MOINES — Tapping into the “outrage and anger” over misinformation about the origins of the coronavirus, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst is introducing the FAUCI Act to ban United States funding for “gain of function” research in China.

As more information is revealed about the U.S. role in funding “gain of function” research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Ernst is calling for more transparency from the National Institutes for Health and EcoHealth Alliance, a taxpayer-supported nonprofit that has conducted coronavirus experiments in China. EcoHealth has, so far, refused to provide information to the public, in violation of federal law, the Iowa Republican said Monday.

“For years, American tax dollars were funneled into communist China, funding dangerous experiments on coronaviruses at the Wuhan Lab, while the head of the division funding those activities, Dr. (Anthony) Fauci, failed to tell the truth to Congress,” Ernst told reporters. “We need a full accounting of how and where our tax dollars are being spent. Enough is enough.”

In May, Fauci, who heads the NIH office that funded EcoHealth, testified under oath to Congress that “the NIH has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research” at the Wuhan lab.

Gain-of-function research refers to medical research that genetically alters a virus in a way that may make it more transmissible.

In addition to the FAUCI — Fairness and Accountability in Underwriting Chinese Institutions —Act, which is a stand-alone bill, Ernst plans to offer an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act later this week to cut off taxpayer funding to EcoHealth.

It’s part of her yearlong effort for more disclosure from EcoHealth and the NIH. In May, she was successful in banning additional future U.S. funding from going to China’s state-run virology institute.

“Well, lo and behold, that turned out to be false,” Ernst said, referring to the NIH’s admission in October that it had been financing EcoHealth experiments on coronaviruses.

“Fauci can say he didn't know, but that’s no excuse,” Ernst said. “He had a legal obligation to know how the taxpayer dollars he was dishing out were being spent. He failed to enforce the law requiring EcoHealth to disclose the cost of experiments, something I've been asking the NIH to do for three years now.”

In addition to ending U.S. funding of gain-of-function research in China and going after government officials who intentionally mislead Congress, her legislation will “bring about badly needed transparency and accountability,” Ernst said.

Comments: (319) 398-8375; james.lynch@thegazette.com