{"id":2245513,"date":"2024-05-15T20:03:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-16T00:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hhs-moves-to-defund-ecohealth-alliance-says-action-needed-to-protect-the-public-interest\/"},"modified":"2024-05-15T20:04:50","modified_gmt":"2024-05-16T00:04:50","slug":"hhs-moves-to-defund-ecohealth-alliance-says-action-needed-to-protect-the-public-interest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hhs-moves-to-defund-ecohealth-alliance-says-action-needed-to-protect-the-public-interest\/","title":{"rendered":"HHS Takes Steps to Cut Funding for EcoHealth Alliance, Citing Public Interest Protection"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhhs-moves-to-defund-ecohealth-alliance-says-action-needed-to-protect-the-public-interest%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2245513&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Biden administration&#8217;s HHS \u2062has decided to cut funding for\u200d EcoHealth Alliance, a U.S.-based nonprofit facing scrutiny for collaborating\u2062 with a Wuhan lab on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wuhan-lab-kept-nih-funding-despite-trump-crackdown\/\" title=\"Wuhan Lab Kept NIH Funding Despite Trump Crackdown\">bat coronavirus research<\/a>.\u2064 HHS cited public interest concerns, proposing debarment for up to three years. EcoHealth Alliance contests this decision, aiming to refute allegations and demonstrate the public benefit of NIH support. The Biden administration&#8217;s HHS has chosen to cease funding \u200cfor EcoHealth Alliance, a U.S.-based nonprofit. The organization is under scrutiny for its collaboration with a Wuhan lab on bat coronavirus research. HHS raised \u2063public interest concerns, suggesting a potential debarment lasting up to three \u200byears. EcoHealth Alliance is contesting the \u200cdecision, seeking to disprove claims and highlight the\u2062 public value of NIH backing.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p>The Department of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/health-and-human-services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Health and Human Services<\/a> (HHS) under the Biden administration has chosen to defund EcoHealth Alliance, a U.S.-based nonprofit group that has been heavily scrutinized for its collaboration with a lab in Wuhan, China, on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/intelligence-community-assessment-on-covid-19-origins-ignored-readily-available-information\/\" title=\"Intelligence Community Assessment on COVID-19 Origins Ignored Readily Available Information\">bat coronavirus experiments<\/a> following the start of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">COVID<\/a> pandemic that killed millions of people around the world.<\/p>\n<p>An official with HHS <a href=\"https:\/\/oversight.house.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Tab-1-EHA-SUSP4D-Notice_5.15.2024_signed.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sent an email<\/a> to Peter Daszak, president of EcoHealth Alliance, conveying the decision to suspend the group and proposed debarment from federal government procurement and non-procurement programs for a period that usually is up to three years \u2014 but could be longer \u2014 effective as of May 14.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHHS believes there is adequate evidence in the record for this debarment cause and that immediate action is necessary to protect the public interest,\u201d the notification said.<\/p>\n<p>The GOP-led House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, which released the letter and an HHS action referral <a href=\"https:\/\/oversight.house.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Tab-2-EHA-SUSP4D-ARM_05.15.2024_signed.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">memo<\/a>, announced that the agency cited evidence from its May 1 interim <a href=\"https:\/\/oversight.house.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/2024.05.01-SSCP-Report_FINAL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">staff report<\/a> looking at evidence surrounding EcoHealth Alliance\u2019s research activities just before Daszak <a href=\"https:\/\/oversight.house.gov\/release\/hearing-wrap-up-ecohealth-alliance-should-be-criminally-investigated-formally-debarred\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gave testimony<\/a> for the investigation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEcoHealth &#038; Dr. Daszak facilitated gain-of-function research in China without proper oversight &#038; willingly violated multiple requirements of NIH [the National Institutes of Health] grants. They should never again receive a single penny from the U.S. taxpayer,\u201d the panel <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/COVIDSelect\/status\/1790762370823847999\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> in a post to X.<\/p>\n<p>Daszak <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/1037517\/peter-daszak-denies-ecohealth-violated-nih-rules-and-defends-work-with-wuhan-lab\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">long denied<\/a> that EcoHealth violated NIH rules, and former government officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, pushed back on claims that the U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ted-cruz-rand-paul-hit-back-at-dr-fauci-for-his-i-represent-science-claim\/\" title=\"Ted Cruz, Rand Paul Hit Back At Dr. Fauci For His \u2018I Represent Science\u2019 Claim\">agency funded gain-<\/a>of-function research \u2014 in which viruses are manipulated to become more dangerous. The Trump administration <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/goatsandsoda\/2020\/04\/29\/847948272\/why-the-u-s-government-stopped-funding-a-research-project-on-bats-and-coronaviru\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pulled funding<\/a> for EcoHealth, but NIH <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-023-01566-0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reinstated<\/a> a grant \u2014 with restrictions \u2014 last year.<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-describedby=\"sk-tooltip-9096\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1700760801843000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG\">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p>\u201cEcoHealth Alliance is disappointed by HHS\u2019 decision today and we will be contesting the proposed debarment,\u201d an EcoHealth Alliance spokesperson told The Daily Wire in an email. \u201cWe disagree strongly with the decision and will present evidence to refute each of these allegations and to show that NIH\u2019s continued support of EcoHealth Alliance is in the public interest.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>More than <a href=\"https:\/\/data.who.int\/dashboards\/covid19\/deaths?n=o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">7\u00a0million people<\/a> diagnosed with COVID-19 have died worldwide. The origin of the pandemic became a topic of fierce debate, with two leading theories being there was a natural emergence or a lab leak. Beijing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/06\/14\/world\/asia\/china-covid-wuhan-lab-leak.html\">denied being to blame<\/a>, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/classified-docs-credibly-suggest-covid-originated-wuhan-lab-leak-covered-up-ccp-house-rep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">State Department records suggest<\/a> COVID emerged from a \u201clab-related accident\u201d and the Chinese Communist Party tried to cover it up.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/trying-to-cover-your-a-rand-paul-charges-fauci-with-attempting-to-change-definition-of-gain-of-function-research\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">driven an inquiry<\/a> in the upper chamber into Fauci and the pandemic\u2019s origins, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RandPaul\/status\/1790803637691671018\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">responded<\/a> to the HHS decision by posting to X, \u201cFinally, the Biden Admin. agrees to ban Peter Daszak and EcoHealth Alliance, who financed the gain-of-function research in Wuhan, from getting any more taxpayer $.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Coronavirus Pandemic Subcommittee Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) said his panel will continue to investigate EcoHealth and the origins of COVID-19, including efforts to secure outstanding documents from Daszak and his team to answer questions from congressional investigators.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will hold EcoHealth accountable for any waste, fraud, and abuse and are committed to uncovering any illegal activity, including lying to Congress, NIH, or the Inspector General,\u201d Wenstrup <a href=\"https:\/\/oversight.house.gov\/release\/breaking-hhs-suspends-funding-and-proposes-formal-debarment-of-ecohealth-alliance-cites-evidence-from-covid-select-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">added in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Biden administration&#8217;s HHS has opted to halt funding for EcoHealth Alliance, a U.S. nonprofit. The group faced scrutiny for collaborating with a Wuhan lab on bat coronavirus research amid the global COVID pandemic that claimed millions of lives<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1588,"featured_media":2245514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/05\/GettyImages-2150450649-scaled-e1715804792142.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2245513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/05\/GettyImages-2150450649-scaled-e1715804792142.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2245513","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1588"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2245513"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2245513\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2245514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2245513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2245513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2245513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}