Washington — The House voted unanimously Friday on a bill ordering the declassification of China’s COVID-19 origins and sent the bill to President Biden’s office.
The bill, which has already passed the Senate, would require Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to declassify any data on links between the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the arguable laboratory of viral studies in the city where SARS is located. -The virus first appeared CoV-2. La vote in the House 419 to 0.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre did not directly answer whether the president would point to the bill, saying, “We’re in the bill. “
The intelligence network definitely disagrees about the origins of the pandemic. A 2021 report reflecting the intelligence network’s findings was inconclusive and decided that two theories were “credible” about how the virus emerged: “natural exposure to an inflamed body. “animal and an incident associated with the laboratory. ” The Energy Department recently concluded, with “low confidence,” that it was credible that the virus came from a lab, a theory backed by the FBI.
The Senate approved the GOP bill by unanimous consent last week. The bill was filed through Republican Sens. Josh Hawley and Mike Brown.
The origin factor of the coronavirus has become fiercely politicized on Capitol Hill, with many Republicans using the increased attention of the lab leak theory to criticize Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, for his theory that the virus gave the impression at a Wuhan market where live animals were sold.
“Now, the other American people will see what their management knows about the origins of COVID, and those who lied about it can be held accountable,” Hawley tweeted after the bill was approved on Friday. “Next prevention for my original COVID bill, Joe Biden’s office. Sign it. “
Democrats have also spoken out for releasing data on the origins of the leak, as evidenced by their lack of objections in the House and Senate.
“Understanding the fundamental reasons for the COVID-19 pandemic is vital to helping you avoid a pandemic in the long run,” Democratic Rep. Raul Ruiz, a physician and leading member of the selected subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic, said after the bill was sent. “Under President Biden’s leadership and leadership, the intelligence network has worked hard to collect data to answer the question of whether COVID-19 began as a lab leak or animal transmission. The evidence, to date, is inconclusive. It is vital that other American people have as much objective data as can be imagined without excessive partisan rhetoric. “