Washington, D.C. - House Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) questioned National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Francis Collins on Wednesday about whether he believed further investigation was needed into the origins of COVID-19.
Leader Rodgers, Subcommittee on Health Republican Leader Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Republican Leader Morgan Griffith (R-VA) raised the issue about further investigation into COVID-19’s origins in their letter sent on March 18, 2021 to Dr. Collins.
“Do you believe that it’s in the public interest to have a comprehensive scientific investigation into the pandemic origins?" Leader Rodgers asked. “And do you agree with the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) that further investigation into COVID origins is needed, including reviewing possible links to the potential laboratory leak?"
“Yes, I do believe that a investigation following on the original WHO investigation is needed," Dr. Collins said.
Dr. Collins said that the U.S. Government is currently working to put together for the WHO what it says should be investigated.
“So yes, to answer your question directly, we do believe that a follow-up investigation is appropriate," Dr. Collins said before saying that the NIH is still working on its response to the Republican leaders’ March 18 letter.
Following the hearing, Leader Rodgers was grateful to Dr. Collins for his response and hopes that the NIH will soon respond.
“I thank Dr. Collins for his commitment to having a follow-up investigation into the origins of this pandemic," Leader Rodgers said. “We hope the NIH will respond to our letter very soon and begin taking the steps necessary to support an independent science-based investigation that would also examine any possible links to a lab leak."
