In a move to uncover the truth about the origins of the COVID-19 virus, House Republicans have announced that they will be following in the footsteps of the Senate. They plan to pass a bill that will require the Biden administration to declassify intelligence related to any potential links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the virus’s origins.
The COVID-19 Origin Act of 2021, which was reintroduced last month by Republican Senators Josh Hawley of Missouri and Mike Braun of Indiana, received unanimous support in the Senate just yesterday. This came just days after the U.S. Energy Department released their findings that the lab leak theory is the most likely explanation for COVID-19’s origins.
The House Republicans hope that by passing this bill, they can bring the truth to light and prevent future pandemics from happening. House Select Committee on China Chairman Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., expressed his frustration with the lack of answers about the origins of the virus. “It’s been three years since COVID-19 upended our lives, and we’re still asking basic questions about the origins of this virus. That’s unacceptable,” Gallagher told Fox News Digital.
Rep. Gallagher introduced a bill requiring the admin to declassify all the relevant intelligence related to the origins of COVID.
"It’s time for Congress to act and force the admin to declassify the relevant intelligence surrounding the pandemic."https://t.co/oDGUfCXg8k
— Rep. Gallagher Press Office (@RepGallagher) March 3, 2023
The bill would require the Biden administration to declassify any intelligence related to potential links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origins of COVID-19, and would mandate that the intelligence community submit a report to Congress within 90 days of the bill’s enactment. The bill also includes provisions to prevent the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from funding research in China until certain conditions are met, such as a thorough investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and increased transparency from the Chinese government.
Republican lawmakers have been calling for a deeper investigation into the origins of COVID-19 for months, and they have criticized the World Health Organization’s (WHO) investigation into the origins of the virus in Wuhan, China. Many Republicans have accused the WHO of being too cozy with the Chinese government and not conducting a thorough investigation.
Democrats have been more cautious about the lab leak theory, with many saying that there is not yet enough evidence to support it. They have also raised concerns that the lab leak theory is being used as a political weapon against China, and that it could lead to increased tensions between the two countries.
Despite the differing opinions on the lab leak theory, there is bipartisan support for a thorough investigation into the origins of COVID-19. The House Republicans hope that their bill will bring us one step closer to uncovering the truth and preventing future pandemics.