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Press Release Published: Jun 23, 2021

Select Subcommittee Republicans Announce Expert Witness Forum on COVID-19 Origins

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Forum to be held with expert witnesses on Tuesday, June 29

WASHINGTON—On Tuesday, June 29 at 12:00 p.m. ET, Republican Whip and Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis Ranking Member Steve Scalise (R-La.), House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.), and Select Subcommittee Republican lawmakers will hold a forum with expert witnesses to examine the origins of the coronavirus. For more than a year now, Republicans have repeatedly called on Democrats to investigate the mounting evidence showing the virus originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) lab, but Democrats continue refusing to launch an investigation.

“The left-wing media called it a ‘fringe conspiracy theory,’ Big Tech censored it, activists in white lab coats dismissed it and Democrats ignored it, but there is growing evidence Communist China started the pandemic, covered it up, and is responsible for the deaths of more than 600,000 Americans and millions more worldwide,” said Scalise and Comer. “Despite Speaker Pelosi’s efforts to create diversions and cover this up, the American people deserve the truth and are demanding accountability, and House Republicans will insist on getting these answers.

“The House Democrat majority’s refusal to follow the science, listen to the experts, and investigate the origins of COVID-19 is a dereliction of their duty. Next week, Select Subcommittee Republicans will hold a forum with expert witnesses to advance our investigation into the origins of COVID-19,” added Scalise and Comer. “The American people deserve to know the truth, even if Washington Democrats refuse to seek it.”

It was recently reported that three researchers from the Wuhan lab became ill with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 and sought hospital care in November 2019. Additionally, Dr. Fauci’s recently released emails from February 2020 reveal that scientists raised the possibility of a lab leak and also expressed concern the virus appeared to be engineered. 

WHAT:  Select Subcommittee expert forum entitled “Led By Science: The COVID-19 Origin Story”

WHEN:  Tuesday, June 29 at 12:00 p.m. ET

WHERE:  HVC-215, Capitol Visitors Center

WHO:

Witness Panel I

  • The Honorable Brett P. Giroir, former Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Admiral Giroir brings firsthand knowledge about the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID-19 testing czar, he oversaw creating a nationwide testing apparatus from scratch which was made particularly difficult by China’s lack of transparency. Admiral Giroir will also discuss the investigatory failures of the World Health Organization and why a U.S.-led origins investigation is vital.
  • Dr. David Asher, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute: Dr. Asher has decades of national security experience and most recently led the U.S. Department of State’s COVID-19 origins investigation. His testimony will provide inside information into the origins investigation and the role of the Chinese government’s efforts to block a thorough and impartial investigation.
  • Dr. Richard Muller, Emeritus Professor of Physics, University of California Berkeley: Dr. Muller is an acclaimed scientist that used his own research to study available data in attempting to determine the origins of COVID-19. He recently penned an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal pointing out there is strong evidence COVID-19 was developed in a laboratory using gain-of-function acceleration. 
  • Dr. Steven Quay, Founder, Atossa Therapeutics: Dr. Quay is one of a growing number of scientists dedicated to finding the origins of COVID-19. He has conducted his own research using the publicly available viral data and reached conclusions apart from outside influence. He brings significant scientific expertise to this endeavor including over 87 patents and hundreds of published scientific articles.

Member Panel

  • The Honorable Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Member of Congress
  • The Honorable Michael McCaul, Member of Congress
  • The Honorable Devin Nunes, Member of Congress
  • The Honorable Mike Gallagher, Member of Congress

Witness Panel II (invited)

  • The Honorable Francis Collins, Director, National Institutes of Health
  • Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
  • Dr. David Hassell, Chairman, P3CO

WATCH:  A livestream will be available HERE.

MEDIA: Media are encouraged to RSVP to Jessica Collins.