Legislation Aims to Block Funding for Research Benefiting Foreign adversaries

A significant military spending bill currently advancing through Congress includes measures to prevent U.S. taxpayer dollars from supporting research that could aid countries considered threats, such as China and Russia.

One amendment, proposed by Senator Joni Ernst, strengthens the Pentagon’s restriction on funding academic and research institutions connected to these countries. It explicitly bans defense funding for research at institutions linked to the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation.

Another provision seeks to stop Department of Defense funds from supporting any research, development, testing, or animal testing at foreign-controlled facilities, unless the secretary of defense justifies a waiver citing national security interests.

Ernst expressed frustration over past lapses, stating, “It is insane that I’ve had to fight for years to stop funding foreign adversaries’ labs and shady experiments by Chinese scientists with American defense dollars.” She emphasized that this legislation represents an important victory for taxpayers and national safety. She also vowed to continue efforts to prevent public funds from supporting unethical animal experiments abroad.

The amendments are set to take effect in fiscal year 2026 if approved and signed into law, coinciding with a recent executive order by President Trump banning “gain of function” research in countries lacking proper oversight, such as China. This type of research involves manipulating pathogens to potentially make them more transmissible or dangerous, raising concerns about biosecurity risks.

These legislative moves follow a Pentagon audit revealing that U.S. oversight of overseas research spending is insufficient. The report highlighted that millions of dollars have gone to Chinese laboratories, including the Wuhan Institute of Virology—which has been linked to the origins of COVID-19—for gain-of-function experiments. While defense officials insist that no experiments involved virus enhancement, the report acknowledged untracked funding for research in foreign labs.

Lawmakers and watchdog groups continue to scrutinize U.S. support for risky overseas research and animal testing, advocating for tighter controls to safeguard both national security and ethical standards.