Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., told Newsmax on Thursday that Americans deserve answers about alleged misconduct and safety failures at the National Institutes of Health's Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana.
His comments follow whistleblower allegations and criminal charges against two laboratory researchers accused of smuggling monkeypox samples into the U.S.
On "Carl Higbie: FRONTLINE," Sheehy said the allegations surrounding the federal biosafety laboratory raise serious concerns about oversight and accountability.
"We need answers," Sheehy said, arguing that the public has a right to know whether proper safety and security procedures were followed at a lab that handles some of the world's most dangerous pathogens.
He recently called on T. March Bell, inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services, to investigate Rocky Mountain Laboratories, citing a whistleblower complaint alleging employee misconduct and NIH reports of two incidents involving the "theft, loss, or release of a pathogen" in the past year.
Sheehy said even minor failures at the lab could have significant consequences for Montana residents and national security.
The issue intensified this week after Rocky Mountain Laboratories scientists Vincent Munster and Claude Kwe were charged with conspiracy to import merchandise contrary to law and making false statements to federal authorities.
According to a criminal complaint filed in the Eastern District of Michigan, the researchers were stopped by Customs and Border Protection officers on Jan. 25 at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport after returning from the Republic of the Congo.
Investigators allege that the pair falsely described material in their luggage as diagnostic supplies when they were actually carrying 113 samples containing inactivated monkeypox virus.
Federal investigators said the samples were not properly declared and required documentation was not provided.
The complaint alleges that FBI testing identified DNA from multiple strains of monkeypox in the seized samples, including Clade I monkeypox, which is regulated under federal select-agent rules.
Investigators further alleged that both scientists had received extensive NIH training on importation requirements and biological-material handling procedures.
Rocky Mountain Laboratories, part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, employs roughly 450 people and operates one of the nation's highest-security Biosafety Level 4 laboratories, conducting research on pathogens including Ebola and other emerging infectious diseases.
Sheehy said the allegations underscore the need for a full review of the laboratory's safety, security, and personnel practices.
"When you're dealing with some of the most dangerous pathogens in the world, there can be no shortcuts and no cover-ups," he said.
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