Comer Slams NIH for Continuing to Award Taxpayer-Funded Grants to EcoHealth Alliance
EcoHealth conducted gain of function research on bat coronaviruses in Wuhan
WASHINGTON—House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.) today slammed the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) for continuing to award EcoHealth Alliance taxpayer-funded grants and contracts despite being found to have been out of compliance with the terms of their grant. EcoHealth Alliance, an NIH grantee, awarded taxpayer funds to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China to study bat coronaviruses. NIH announced that it is terminating EcoHealth Alliance’s relationship with the WIV but will allow the nonprofit to continue receiving grants with oversight procedures.
“Terminating EcoHealth Alliance’s partnership with the Wuhan Lab is the bare minimum. It’s unacceptable that the NIH continues to allow EcoHealth Alliance to receive taxpayer dollars even though it is confirmed EcoHealth violated the terms of its grant contract. EcoHealth conducted gain of function research on bat coronaviruses in Wuhan, knew about the Chinese Communist Party’s coverup, and failed to inform the U.S. government. EcoHealth’s dangerous experiments in Wuhan and possible efforts to cover up any evidence may have started the pandemic. EcoHealth should not receive a penny of American taxpayer dollars for their gross mismanagement of Americans’ hard-earned money. The Biden Administration and Democrats continue to turn a blind eye to EcoHealth’s unethical behavior, but when Republicans are in power in 2023, oversight and accountability are coming.”
NIH’s letter to Ranking Member Comer can be found here and related documents can be found here.
Additional Resources
May 2021: Comer & Jordan Probe Taxpayer Funds Awarded to Wuhan Lab
June 2021: Comer & Jordan Press Fauci About Taxpayer-Funded, Controversial Research at Wuhan Lab
July 2021: Oversight Republicans Press NIH & NIAID on Taxpayer Funds Awarded to Wuhan Lab
January 2022: Comer & Jordan: Fauci’s Emails Raise Questions of Lab Leak Cover Up
April 2022: Scalise, Comer Call for Investigation of EcoHealth’s Unethical Conduct