"[The] Obama administration and U.S. National Institutes of Health were sufficiently worried about scientists working on these types of viruses, and the risk of an accidental release of one of these viruses, to halt federal funding for this research. They were also sufficiently worried about an accidental release to encourage anyone not taking federal funding to halt their work as well. They had good reason to be; in addition to the cases at the U.S. CDC and FDA, the Chinese CDC’s National Institute of Virology in southern Beijing had accidentally released SARS. Twice. The “pause” on funding remained in place for the remainder of the Obama administration, and wasn’t lifted until a year into the Trump presidency."

https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/did-we-see-this-coming/