Carter amendment to prevent gain-of-function research blocked

Democrats recently blocked an amendment offered on Sept. 15 by U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) to the U.S. House of Representatives’ $3.5 trillion budget package that aimed to prevent U.S. taxpayer dollars from funding gain-of-function research.

“The available evidence suggests COVID-19 may have leaked out of the Wuhan Institute of Virology after it was developed through gain-of-function research,” Rep. Carter said.

Such research is a type that modifies a biological agent so that it confers new or enhanced activity to that agent, according to the National Institutes of Health.

“We can and should stop U.S. taxpayer dollars from being used to fund this practice once and for all,” the congressman said.

Earlier this month, Rep. Carter and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) introduced bipartisan legislation to pause taxpayer funding for gain-of-function research over the next five years until appropriate safety standards can be put in place. Rep. Carter’s office noted that gain-of-function research creates the risk of man-made, deadly pathogens entering communities if conducted without proper safety standards and protocols.