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Press Release Published: Jul 20, 2021

Republicans Release Five Key Findings from COVID-19 Origins Forum

WASHINGTON—The House Committee on Oversight and Reform and Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis minority staff today issued a memorandum to lawmakers on findings learned from the Republican-led expert forum on COVID-19 origins held last month. In the memorandum, the Republican staff outline five key facts unearthed during the forum along with the expert testimony and evidence to support the findings. In the report, they also underscore the importance of Democrats launching an investigation in order to compel document production and witness testimony.

“The evidence uncovered by Committee Republicans does not alleviate the Committee and Select Subcommittee Democrats’ duty to launch a full and complete investigation by holding hearings with and requesting documents from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Intelligence Community, and any related grantees or researchers, including EcoHealth Alliance—the entity that funneled U.S. taxpayer dollars overseas to China. Discovering the origins of this pandemic is the first step in a global defensive effort to stop future pandemics,” wrote the Republican staff.

Below are the five key findings uncovered during the forum:

  • COVID-19 likely originated in the WIV;
  • COVID-19 was likely modified through dangerous gain of function research;
  • The National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases are likely involved in dangerous research in China;
  • The World Health Organization did not conduct an impartial investigation; and
  • The Chinese Communist Party and its People’s Liberation Army have an advanced bioweapons program that may operate within the WIV.

The Republican staff continued, “This should not be a partisan issue. Finding the origins of COVID-19 is a global issue. Republicans, with or without Democrats, will continue to press to hold China accountable for the deaths of more than 600,000 Americans and millions more worldwide.”

To read the memorandum, click here.