Senator Marshall Introduces Legislation to Halt Dangerous Viral Gain of Function Research

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) today introduced the Dangerous Viral Gain of Function Research Moratorium Act, which calls for the immediate halt of dangerous gain-of-function (GOF) research. GOF research aims to genetically alter a virus or organism to gain or lose function on its transmissibility or pathogenicity. Most evidence suggests the COVID-19 virus is more than likely the product of GOF research conducted in Wuhan, China. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) is a cosponsor of the legislation. 

Senator Marshall has repeatedly called for complete transparency and accountability from the federal government regarding the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of this responsibility requires that all present and future gain-of-function research be halted immediately due to safety concerns.

“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. “The Dangerous Viral Gain-of-Function Research Moratorium Act is critical to ensure the federal government immediately ceases funding for this irresponsible, high-risk work. The era of unaccountable taxpayer-funded science done in the name of ‘global health’ needs to end.”

“If the COVID pandemic taught us anything, it’s that we cannot allow gain-of-function research to do more harm than good,” said Senator Blackburn. “This legislation would halt all federal research grants involving risky gain-of-function research on potential pandemic pathogens until oversight is improved and safety guardrails become a guarantee.”

“This bill from Senator Dr. Roger Marshall (R-KS) to stop federal funding of dangerous gain-of-function research is a common sense solution to preventing the next laboratory-acquired infection from becoming another pandemic,” said Dr. Steven Quay, M.D., PhD., Physician-Scientist and CEO of biopharmaceutical company Atossa Therapeutics.

Click HERE to read the bill text.

Background:

• Senator Marshall originally introduced this legislation in October 2021. 
• In 2024, Senate Democrats blocked Senator Marshall’s effort to pass similar legislation.
• In 2014, The Obama Administration ordered a pause on all gain-of-function research due to increased leaks and infectious material spills from laboratories receiving government dollars.
• In 2017 – with key cabinet appointments vacant or pending Senate confirmations – the National Institute for Health (NIH) successfully advocated for lifting the moratorium.
• Reports released from the Republican-led Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic concluded that “the Wuhan Institute of Virology used NIAID money to conduct ‘gain-of-function’ studies that modified distantly related coronaviruses,” an outcome which undoubtedly led to the global COVID-19 pandemic via a lab-leak. 
• To learn more about Senator Marshall’s oversight efforts of GOF research, click here.