Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today announced a hearing titled "Biosafety and Risky Research: Examining if Science is Outpacing Policy and Safety.”

The hearing will occur as part of the Committee’s ongoing investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and other research involving potential pandemic pathogens. It follows a February 1, 2023, oversight hearing titled “Challenges and Opportunities to Investigating the Origins of Pandemics and Other Biological Events” at which witnesses discussed obstacles to determining the root cause of infectious disease outbreaks and biological incidents. 

Chairs Rodgers and Griffith released the following statement:

“Our Committee’s ongoing work has ignited heightened concerns about how we conduct and fund risky research and whether current biosafety measures are still sufficient to mitigate risks. As scientists, government investigators, and journalists continue to uncover more information, it is important to have public discussion and debates to ensure our policies and practices evolve to protect the safety of the American people and the world. This hearing will provide members and the public an opportunity to better understand specific risks involved with gain-of-function research on potential pandemic pathogens, current biosafety practices at high-containment laboratories, and will help better inform upcoming policymaking decisions.” 

Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Hearing titled "Biosafety and Risky Research: Examining if Science is Outpacing Policy and Safety.”

WHAT: A Subcommittee hearing to discuss how virus research can be conducted more safely. 

DATE: Thursday, April 27, 2023 

TIME: 2:30 PM ET 

LOCATION: 2322 Rayburn House Office Building 

WITNESSES: Witnesses will be announced and are by invitation only.   

This notice is at the direction of the Chair. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at https://energycommerce.house.gov/. If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Lauren Eriksen with the Committee staff at Lauren.Eriksen@mail.house.gov. If you have any press-related questions, please contact Christopher Krepich at Christopher.Krepich@mail.house.gov.