Utah Valley Times

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) has joined a group of bipartisan lawmakers in introducing legislation aimed at protecting American genetic data and personal health information from foreign adversaries. The Prohibiting Foreign Access to American Genetic Information Act of 2024 would prevent biotechnology companies owned or controlled by foreign adversaries, such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), from receiving U.S. taxpayer dollars through federal contracts, grants, and loans.

Senator Romney emphasized the importance of preventing the CCP from obtaining Americans' private health information, stating, "Chinese-based biotechnology companies are collecting genetic and sensitive health data from millions of people around the world through medical diagnostics tests to give China the upper hand." He added that the legislation would ensure that no American taxpayer dollars could be used to subsidize biotech companies that pose a threat to national security.

Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) highlighted the growing threats posed by biotech companies controlled by foreign adversaries. He stated, "Every day, Americans get their blood drawn or take other medical tests to protect their health. But, few people know exactly who has access to the DNA information contained in those samples or how they might use it." He emphasized that the bill would safeguard Americans' personal health and genetic information from foreign adversaries seeking to undermine national security.

Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) drew parallels to the situation with Huawei and America's telecoms sector, stating, "Backed by the PRC's balance sheet, BGI and other highly-subsidized CCP-directed companies seek to undercut their way into dominating the U.S. biotech market while aggressively collecting the genetic and other sensitive medical data of tens of millions of Americans and transferring it back to China for malign or unknown purposes." He expressed the need to prevent U.S. taxpayer funds from advancing the efforts of CCP-backed companies like BGI.

Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, raised concerns about the potential use of genetic data collected by BGI by the CCP to develop a bioweapon targeting the American people. He urged Congress to support the bipartisan legislation, stating, "Congress can do something about it."

Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, emphasized the need to prevent U.S. taxpayer dollars from subsidizing biotech companies of foreign adversaries. He stated, "By allowing these companies to amass and analyze large amounts of foreign genomic data, we risk our most sensitive information being used against us."

The legislation aims to address the national security threats posed by biotechnology companies with ties to adversarial governments. It includes a fast-track ban on companies such as BGI Group, MGI, Complete Genomics, and WuXi AppTec, given their significant ties to the CCP. The bill also establishes criteria to identify other companies of concern and requires an annual review to ensure that new companies or existing companies attempting to evade the ban can be readily identified as potential threats.

The bipartisan legislation recognizes the strategic value of biotechnology and the potential risks associated with the exploitation of genetic data. It seeks to protect Americans' personal health and genetic information from falling into the hands of adversarial foreign governments. If allowed to operate unchecked, these companies could gain significant economic and strategic leverage against the United States.

The Prohibiting Foreign Access to American Genetic Information Act of 2024 represents a comprehensive approach to safeguarding national security and ensuring the privacy and security of Americans' genetic data. It is a crucial step in protecting the American bioeconomy and ensuring that genomic data remains safe and secure.