Why did Republicans lift the ban on creating lethal viruses?

[Champp]

I mean, WTF?

A Federal Ban on Making Lethal Viruses Is Lifted - Dec. 19, 2017

Federal officials on Tuesday ended a moratorium imposed three years ago on funding research that alters germs to make them more lethal.

Such work can now proceed, said Dr. Francis S. Collins, the head of the National Institutes of Health...

...Critics say these researchers risk creating a monster germ that could escape the lab and seed a pandemic...

The New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/19/health/lethal-viruses-nih.html

[OhZone]

1. Oh-k that's pretty suspicious.

[Ferrets are Cool]

2. I'm sure there is profit in creating monster germs. nt

[Champp]

3. And why did Republicans shortly thereafter totally trash America's pandemic office?

Sheer stupidity? Or Evil?

I ran the White House pandemic office. Trump closed it.
The federal government is moving too slowly, due to a lack of leadership.

Washington Post, March 6, 2020

"When President Trump took office in 2017, the White House’s National Security Council Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense survived the transition intact. Its mission was the same as when I was asked to lead the office, established after the Ebola epidemic of 2014: to do everything possible within the vast powers and resources of the U.S. government to prepare for the next disease outbreak and prevent it from becoming an epidemic or pandemic.

"One year later, I was mystified when the White House dissolved the office, leaving the country less prepared for pandemics like covid-19..."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/nsc-pandemic-office-trump-closed/2020/03/13/a70de09c-6491-11ea-acca-80c22bbee96f_story.html

[uponit7771]

4. Because they're blaming the lack of testing "on the system" which is the lie Faci told

[Igel]

5. Better story.

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/12/nih-lifts-3-year-ban-funding-risky-virus-studies

Don't know if Dr. Collins is (R) or (D) or something else. But since we need appeals to authority and team badges, https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/who-we-are/nih-director/biographical-sketch-francis-s-collins-md-phd says he's a good guy since he was first appointed by President Obama.