“Gain of function” (GOF) studies are experiments in which viruses are intentionally engineered by reckless white coats to become more transmissible and more deadly. Experts at the FBI, lawmakers, scientists around the world, and most Americans believe that the Wuhan Animal Lab’s dangerous taxpayer-funded coronavirus GOF experiments — first exposed and defunded by White Coat Waste Project (WCW) — caused the COVID pandemic.

Smoking Gun: WCW FOIA investigations proves NIH ignored gain-of-Function Research; Wuhan lab funder calls it “Terrific!”

This Wednesday, August 3, a lot more people learned about the dangers of gain-of-function experiments and what we can do to stop it, thanks to the efforts of Senator (and Waste Warrior!) Rand Paul (R-KY). At Paul’s urging, the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee’s spending oversight subcommittee—which is run by Sens. Paul and Maggie Hassan (D-NH)—held a hearing entitled “Revisiting Gain of Function Research: What the Pandemic Taught Us and Where Do We Go From Here.”

A majority of taxpayers oppose funding for GOF and want to see US-led investigations into COVID’s origins, and this is the first ever Senate hearing on GOF. Kudos to Senator Paul for getting it on the books! 

The hearing featured longtime GOF critic Dr. Richard Ebright, MIT biologist Dr. Kevin Esvelt, as well as Dr. Steven Quay, who spoke at WCW’s first Congressional briefing on the “lab leak hypothesis” in May 2021.  U.S. Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Ron Johnson (R-WI) also participated in the hearing and questioned these experts.

There were fireworks aplenty at the hearing, including these gems:

Could poor U.S. oversight of high risk gain-of-function research have caused the pandemic?

Ebright: yes pic.twitter.com/DotzobnIFQ

— Emily Kopp (@emilyakopp) August 3, 2022

In the meantime, if you’re fed up that your tax money is funding dangerous animal experiments at labs all over the world, take action! Tell Congress to pass the AFAR Act today!