(Health Korea News / Chang-Yong Lee) A person has emerged who strongly opposes the Biosecurity Act, which is supported across party lines in the United States. This is Republican Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky.
Politico, an American political media outlet, recently reported that despite bipartisan support for the biosecurity bill, Senator Rand Paul is a key obstacle preventing the bill’s passage.
Lawmakers who support the biosecurity bill, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and retiring Representative Brad Wenstrup, are making a last-ditch effort to pass the bill with just a few weeks left in the year. there is. This effort includes attaching biosecurity legislation to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is passed annually.
However, it appears that Senator Rand Paul, currently a standing member (ranking member) of the Homeland Security Committee and the next chairman, is staunchly opposed to the biosecurity bill. The biosecurity bill has support across party lines, but according to congressional tradition, the approval of the standing committee chair and standing members is required for the biosecurity bill to be included in the National Defense Authorization Act. Senator Rand Paul is currently the only member of the Homeland Security Committee who opposes the biosecurity bill.
Senator Rand Paul opposed the passage of the biosecurity bill on the grounds that “by banning certain (Chinese) companies, we are allowing certain other companies to develop.”
Forbes, an American economic magazine, also announced on the 25th that although the Biosecurity Act has bipartisan support in both houses of Congress, it faces an uncertain future due to opposition from Senator Rand Paul. According to congressional tradition, the chairman and standing committee members can effectively veto bills attached to bills that must be passed, but Senator Rand Paul has maintained his criticism of the biosecurity bill.
When lawmakers return in the first week of December after Thanksgiving, they will focus their discussion on bills that must be passed, such as the National Defense Authorization Act, so the time to pass other standalone bills is expected to be very limited.
Therefore, it may be difficult to include the biosecurity bill in the National Defense Authorization Act without a change in Senator Rand Paul’s opinion, and the possibility of passage within the year is expected to be very low. An incomprehensible situation is developing in which a single loach is blocking America’s national policy that everyone agrees with.
In relation to this, an official from the Korea Biotechnology Association said, “It is expected to be decided within the month of December whether the biosecurity bill that passed the House of Representatives last September will pass the Senate.” He added, “Senator Rand Paul is the key man who can decide whether or not it will pass.” ), if it is not passed this year, discussions will begin again at the newly formed Homeland Security Committee chaired by Senator Rand Paul in January of next year.”
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