US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson has suggested that a vote on the Biosecure Act could be on the cards before the year’s end. Speaking at a summit organized by the right-wing think-tank The Hudson Institute, Johnson discussed potential immediate measures to counteract “the threat” from China ahead of the November general election. Johnson stated, “We will vote on the BIOSECURE Act, which will halt federal contracts with biotech companies that are beholden to adversaries and endanger Americans’ healthcare data.”
In June, the Biosecure Act’s progress seemed to have slowed when the US House Rules Committee deemed the Act ineligible for inclusion in the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a bill that covers funding for the next year and would have expedited a vote on the Act.
Two versions of the Biosecure Act are currently under consideration by both chambers of Congress. The Act would mandate that any company receiving US federal funding must cease collaboration with a number of China-based companies, including BGI, MGI, Complete Genomics, WuXi AppTec, and WuXi Bio. As previously reported, the bill has been amended to offer affected companies a grace period of up to 8 years — until the end of 2032 — to make alternative arrangements.- Flcube.com