NW Kentucky News

The Chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), has initiated an investigation into the Department of Energy (DOE) following revelations about machinery linked to the Chinese military at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The subcommittee's recent findings indicate that Los Alamos is utilizing equipment produced by Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI), a company associated with the People’s Liberation Army and the Chinese Communist Party.

Chairman Wenstrup expressed concerns regarding national security implications. "If there is in fact a BGI machine at Los Alamos, the U.S. Government’s most advanced scientific institution—one that is directly involved in investigating and protecting against biosecurity threats including COVID-19—may be putting American national security at risk by using machinery linked to the CCP and PLA," he stated.

This development follows earlier legislative actions taken by Wenstrup. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the BIOSECURE Act, which he introduced to safeguard American data and taxpayer funds from foreign biotech firms like BGI. This act prohibits federal entities and federally funded institutions from engaging with such companies.

“Earlier this year, the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to pass the BIOSECURE Act and referred it to the Senate. This Act is designed to ensure that American patient data and taxpayer dollars do not fall into the hands of foreign adversaries’ biotechnology companies by prohibiting Federal contracting with these companies—including BGI,” Wenstrup reiterated.

Wenstrup has formally requested a briefing from DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm concerning Los Alamos' use of BGI equipment.