Lawmakers call for accountability after Chinese scientists caught smuggling fungus into US

A growing number of GOP lawmakers are raising concerns about U.S. taxpayer funding of Chinese laboratories after two Chinese scientists were charged with smuggling a fungus called "Fusarium graminearum" into the U.S. The fungus, although not deadly to humans, represents a potential threat to grain crops.

Congressman Glenn Grothman, R-Wisc., said there may be a way for Congress to stop funding Chinese biolabs. 

"I think if we reduce the amount of money that's going into these fundings, we may even be able to put it in the big, beautiful bill," he said on the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show. "That's obviously up to the parliamentarian in the Senate, but I don't know the degree to which in the regular appropriation process."

DOJ: “Potential agroterrorism weapon” 

Just the News reported this week that Chinese scientists were indicted for smuggling the potentially dangerous fungus into the U.S. by hiding it in a pair of boots on at least one prior occasion.

The pair of Chinese-born researchers, Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, were charged this week in connection to allegations that they smuggled the Fusarium graminearum fungus into the United States in 2024. That fungus is classified in the scientific literature as a “potential agroterrorism weapon,” according to the Justice Department.

In addition, the government laid out evidence in the indictment that Jian and Liu previously collaborated in August 2022 to smuggle unknown seeds into the United States, according to messages between the pair on the Chinese messaging application WeChat. 

"We're seeing repeatedly where China is abusing our good nature here in America and our open society, where it sounds like this pathogen...sounds like it could be very harmful [and] could do billions of dollars of damage to our crops," Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wisc., said on the Wednesday edition of the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show. 

Calls to examine, remove Chinese influence

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., said that Chinese nationals who are connected to the Chinese Communist Party shouldn't be in the U.S. at all. 

"Why are Chinese nationals connected to the Communist Party of China being allowed into the United States for any reason whatsoever?" Perry asked on the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show on Wednesday. "How is that still happening? And if they were here when President Trump showed up, why haven't they been sent back just because of their affiliation with the Communist Party of China."

Congressman Troy Downing, R-Mont., said that this incident should cause the U.S. to examine how much influence China really has over the U.S. 

"It calls into question Chinese influence in the American higher education system, and we've already been talking about that influence and how it can be a threat to us," he said Thursday. 

"I think we need to be looking at that very carefully to make sure that adverse or adversaries don't have access that they can harm us, and I think this is one of those cases."