A growing number of GOP lawmakers are raising concerns about U.S. taxpayer funding of Chinese laboratories after two Chinese scientists were charged with smuggling a fungus called “Fusarium graminearum” into the U.S. The fungus, although not deadly to humans, represents a potential threat to grain crops.
Congressman Glenn Grothman, R-Wisc., said there may be a way for Congress to stop funding Chinese biolabs.
“I think if we reduce the amount of money that’s going into these fundings, we may even be able to put it in the big, beautiful bill,” he said on the “Just the News, No Noise” TV show. “That’s obviously up to the parliamentarian in the Senate, but I don’t know the degree to which in the regular appropriation process.”
Just the News reported this week that Chinese scientists were indicted for smuggling the potentially dangerous fungus into the U.S. by hiding it in a pair of boots on at least one prior occasion.
The pair of Chinese-born researchers, Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, were charged this week in connection to allegations that they smuggled the Fusarium graminearum fungus into the United States in 2024. That fungus is classified in the scientific literature as a “potential agroterrorism weapon,” according to the Justice Department.
In addition, the government laid out evidence in the indictment that Jian and Liu previously collaborated in August 2022 to smuggle unknown seeds into the United States, according to messages between the pair on the Chinese messaging application WeChat.
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Author: Marty Kaufmann
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