Staff Reports
The government has taken action against EcoHealth Alliance, stopping the firm from receiving federal funding. The Department of Health and Human Services stated that EcoHealth “lacks the present responsibility” to continue receiving millions of dollars in research grant money. Deputy Assistant Secretary Henrietta K. Brisbon has suspended the firm and proposed a permanent debarment, believing there is enough evidence for the debarment cause.
Biden administration stops funding to U.S. firm that paid for Wuhan research – https://t.co/fupepZpWEZ
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) May 15, 2024
Both Democrats and Republicans have expressed support for the government’s decision, claiming that EcoHealth failed to properly monitor the labs using taxpayers’ money and did not fulfill their reporting obligations to the government. The firm’s use of taxpayer money to fund research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is near where the COVID-19 pandemic is believed to have originated, contributed to these failures. Some U.S. agencies have suggested that the virus may have leaked from the lab, while others still believe in a natural cause for the virus’s evolution.
Representative Brad Wenstrup, chairman of the House subcommittee exploring the pandemic, stated that EcoHealth facilitated risky research in Wuhan without proper oversight and violated requirements of its NIH grant. The White Coat Waste Project, a watchdog group, also expressed satisfaction with the punishment the firm is facing.
Ms. Brisbon’s letter to EcoHealth listed numerous communications and documents that informed the suspension and proposed debarment, emphasizing the government’s contention that EcoHealth misled NIH about its reporting on the Wuhan lab’s use of funds in 2019. Democrats agree with the decision to cut off EcoHealth’s federal funding, but they fear that the situation will lead to broader attacks on U.S. research spending.
The firm has denied allegations that it funded risky research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The Wuhan lab itself was prohibited from federal research funding last year. Dr. Peter Daszak, President of EcoHealth, denied the accusation that the lab was responsible for the pandemic virus and stated that there is no evidence it emerged from a lab.
The government’s decision to cease funding for EcoHealth Alliance has received bipartisan support, with concerns raised about the firm’s handling of taxpayer money and reporting obligations.
