Washington (July 18, 2023) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Representative Anna Eshoo (CA-16) today led their colleagues in introducing two health security bills that would empower the federal government to investigate the health impacts of nuclear war and promote the safe use of artificial gene synthesis, which can be used in designing and mass-producing genetic material that could be used by malicious actors to create a new pandemic.

“In order to protect the American people, the United States must understand and prepare for threats to our health security. Nuclear war could jeopardize food production across the world and unleash radioactive contaminants that cause harm for generations to come. Genetic synthesis, despite its many promising benefits, could become dangerous if left unregulated,” said Senator Markey. “The fact is that we are not prepared, but we can be. I am proud to work with Representative Eshoo to advance two health security bills that will protect the wellbeing of every American against the threats of nuclear war and rapidly emerging gene synthesis technology.”

“New technologies present challenges to our health, well-being, and national security, and the U.S. government must have a full understanding of the range of risks we face,” said Representative Eshoo. “Deadly viruses can now be made from scratch using artificial gene synthesis, and nuclear weapons can cause severe health impacts beyond the immediate devastation. I’m proud to be working with Senator Markey to introduce two health security bills that will protect our country from these threats by requiring screening protocols for gene synthesis products and better prepare to the after-effects of nuclear detonation.”

The Health Impacts of Nuclear War Act would commission a research program and direct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to evaluate the United States’ preparedness, lead an interdepartmental investigation on the health impacts of nuclear war, and ensure that resources are dedicated to understanding the full impact of nuclear war. Research makes clear that the damage of nuclear war extends well beyond the blast radius: soot emitted into the stratosphere after a nuclear war could reduce sunlight, global temperatures, and precipitation enough to jeopardize food security across the world, as well as damage the ozone layer, leading to extreme ultra-violet radiation for anyone outside. The Health Impacts of Nuclear War Act is endorsed by the Future of Life Institute, the Alliance to Feed the Earth in Disasters (ALLFED), and the Global Catastrophic Risk Institute.

“Most are aware of the immediate devastation that would result from a nuclear attack, but the reverberating environmental repercussions, and their effects on human health, are often overlooked. Environmental disruption from nuclear blasts and associated human health effects have the potential to dramatically amplify the already-horrific consequences of nuclear war. This bill is an important step in understanding and preparing for those consequences so we can mitigate these harms in the unfortunate event we fail to avert a nuclear crisis. The insight this bill would provide could save countless lives, and we thank Senator Markey for his dedication to this important issue,” said Dr. Landon Klein, Director of US Policy at the Future of Life Institute.

“While preventing nuclear war should always be the first priority, contingency plans are needed in case prevention fails and nuclear war occurs. The global health impacts of nuclear war could be extremely severe, potentially including mass starvation, disease outbreak, and the collapse of health systems. We urgently need to understand these threats and prepare to address them. We thank Senator Markey for his leadership on this issue and we urge Congress to support the resolution. Millions or even billions of lives may be at stake,” said Dr. Seth Baum, Executive Director of the Global Catastrophic Risk Institute.

“The full range of health impacts from nuclear war have been woefully understudied, and we are simply not ready to respond to their disastrous consequences. Senator Markey’s legislation is a vital step in preparing us for the worst case scenarios,” said Dr. David Denkenberger, Co-founder of the Alliance to Feed the Earth in Disasters (ALLFED).

The Securing Gene Synthesis Act would direct HHS to assess the uncertainties, risks, costs, and benefits of different regulations of gene synthesis products, and to require gene synthesis providers to enact screening protocols for their gene synthesis products. The legislation would also mandate any federal agency or entity receiving federal funds that buys gene synthesis products to only purchase them from suppliers who are compliant with screening regulations. Gene synthesis is a widely used technique to create DNA for applications such as research and drug production. However, there is increasing concern that gene synthesis could be used to create pathogens capable of causing a new pandemic. Requiring synthesis companies to screen their products would protect the public from dangerous synthetic DNA, while still allowing for scientific and industrial uses. The Securing Gene Synthesis Act is endorsed by the Nuclear Threat Initiative, the Federation of American Scientists, the International Gene Synthesis Consortium, and the Institute for Progress.

“This proposed legislation is a pivotal chance to both reduce the risks posed by gene synthesis while at the same time ensuring that responsible companies are not disadvantaged by doing the right thing. Many leading U.S. gene synthesis companies already voluntarily screen orders and customers, but they now bear costs that other less responsible companies don’t have to carry. By making this screening a requirement, both for the companies that make these products and for the users of these products in the U.S., Congress can reduce the risks that dangerous viruses will be made from scratch and can strengthen the U.S. economy in the process,” said Dr. Tom Inglesby, Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

“It is good to see legislation tackling the issues surrounding gene synthesis security. Responsible gene synthesis companies, including those in the US, have already been doing gene synthesis screening, so adding additional scrutiny for those companies which do not is a welcome step in the right direction,” said Dr. Gigi Gronvall, Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

“I am pleased to endorse the Securing Gene Synthesis Act. Accelerating progress in synthetic biology and bioengineering offer many benefits, but also risk catastrophic misuse. I firmly believe that the way to tackle these risks is to require that all DNA synthesis orders are screened. This bill should be a top policy priority for our nation’s pandemic preparedness efforts this year,” said Kevin Esvelt, Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“The Securing Gene Synthesis Act is a significant step forward in preventing misuse of this vital technology. I am very pleased to see the consideration of industry incentives as part of the proposed legislation. Incentivizing safety and security in a way that reduces biological risk while protecting innovation is critical,” said Dr. Jaime Yassif, Vice President of Global Biological Policy and Programs at the Nuclear Threat Initiative.

“The Securing Gene Synthesis Act is a major step forward for biosecurity that will help ensure our ability to harness advances in synthetic biology while reducing the risk of misuse,” said Gregory Koblentz, Director of the Biodefense Graduate Program at George Mason University.

“The ability to order gene synthesis products and equipment from companies that do not sufficiently screen orders for dangerous pathogens presents a major security loophole. Requiring such screening is a wise safeguard to improve the safety of new biotechnology and reduce the risk that dangerous pathogens or toxins will be misused,” said Allison Berke, Director of Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

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