Sen. Paul Says Agencies Refusing to Provide Information on US Funding of Risky Research in China

Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky is on a mission to uncover whether the United States helped fund gain-of-function research in China. During a hearing before the Senate Homeland Security Governmental Affairs Committee, he questioned Government Accounting Office Comptroller General Gene Dodaro about whether U.S. universities and government agencies have sent money to fund Chinese military research.

“We’re actually funding military research. I think there’s a question of whether it’s being done appropriately, honestly, and, frankly, legally,” Paul told Dodaro.

“I’m equally concerned about this issue,” Dodaro responded.

The hearing discussed the 2023 High-Risk List of agencies and programs that need reform. As part of the information on spending, the GAO released the report “Information on U.S. Finding to Entities Located in China.”

The information indicates that much of the money sent to China cannot be accounted for.

A review of the report by The Epoch Times could not find the specific subawards that Paul mentioned. According to an email from a GAO spokesman, more information on funding to entities in China is forthcoming.

The universities and government agencies mentioned by Paul did not return emails or telephone calls from The Epoch Times seeking comment.

According to the report, $48 million was provided to Chinese entities between fiscal years 2017–2019. Of this, $22.8 million was assistance awards, and about $25.2 million in contracts.

Funding was also provided through subawards from U.S. award recipients to Chinese organizations.

“However, the full extent of these subawards is unknown because of limitations in the completeness and accuracy of subaward data reported in government systems,” The GAO report reads. “GAO is currently examining the state of federal government-wide subaward data as part of a separate review.”

But the amounts spent and the reporting requirements were only part of the issue brought up by Paul.

The senator from Kentucky has been pushing for information about money sent to the Chinese military and ascertaining whether any U.S. money was sent to the Wuhan lab for gain-of-function research. He has hit a brick wall in his quest for answers.