The full U.S. Senate passed a resolution Friday (May 28) calling for an investigation into the origins of the Chinese Communist virus (COVID-19, the new coronavirus).
Top U.S. public health experts have changed their previous skepticism about laboratory leaks and see the need for further investigation. The debate over the origins of the pandemic in the United States reached a fever pitch recently, with the Wuhan virus lab leak theory in China being the biggest concern.
The resolution, passed by unanimous consent, was led by Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas and Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and calls for a World Health Assembly investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The resolution says that if the investigation is not approved by the WHO, the United States will launch its own investigation with “willing governments and experts.
Marshall said in a statement, “It is outrageous that a full investigation into the origins of COVID-19 is still not underway. With the WHO meeting this week, we must conduct a full investigation into the outbreak.”
“If China (CCP) continues on its path of cover-up, we must begin planning for a full investigation, including working with partners around the world.” Marshall added.
“There must be a thorough and transparent investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic – it is completely unacceptable for (the Chinese Communist Party) to stand in the way,” Lu Tianna said in a statement.
“Our resolution makes clear that the United States believes that the previous WHO investigation was flawed and that accountability, including all possible sources of the virus, including laboratory leaks, must be taken and a full investigation conducted.” Lu Tina added.
Resolutions usually have nothing to do with making U.S. law, and are for the purpose of expressing views related to congressional rules of procedure, operations, and views on a particular incident. When both chambers pass a resolution, the resolution is not sent to the president for his approval.
A concurrent resolution passed by the Senate will go to the Secretary of the Senate for signature and will not be sent to the President for action.
In addition to Friday’s passage of a resolution calling for an investigation into origins, the U.S. Senate on Wednesday (26) also passed legislation requiring the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to declassify COVID-19 source information. The bill requires the ODNI to declassify information including any activities conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virus Research, a laboratory that may have been a key site for the virus leak.
The Wall Street Journal reported on May 23 that a never-before-published U.S. intelligence report alleges that three researchers at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virus Research became seriously ill and were taken to the hospital in November 2019; this phenomenon predates the Communist Party’s announcement of the first case of the Chinese Communist virus (New Coronavirus).
The U.S. intelligence community said this week that the two possibilities, animal-to-human transmission and laboratory leakage, are intertwined, but a definitive conclusion on the source of the virus has not been reached.
President Biden asked the intelligence community to “redouble its efforts” to investigate the origin of the virus and report back to the president within 90 days.
“As part of the report, I asked for areas that may require further investigation, including China-specific issues,” Biden said in a statement. Biden said in a statement. “I also asked that the U.S. National Laboratory and other U.S. government agencies be included to work together to complement the intelligence community’s efforts. I asked that the intelligence community keep Congress fully informed of its efforts.”
Recent Comments