House Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released the following statement about President Biden’s State of the Union remarks on the COVID-19 pandemic:
“Almost a month ago, we called on President Biden to provide his plan to unwind his public health emergency powers and give Americans their freedom back. It’s past time, and the American people want to return to normalcy. At this point in the pandemic, as it should have been all along, people should be trusted to make the best decisions for themselves and their families.
“Parents across this country still deserve answers. School closures, forced masking, lockdowns, and social isolation have created a mental health crisis. Because of government arrogance, children have paid one of the greatest costs of this pandemic, despite being the least at risk.
“To repair its broken credibility, the CDC needs to be honest and fully transparent. I continue to urge President Biden and Director Rochelle Walensky to produce all the COVID-19 data and studies that inform the CDC’s decision making. Withholding data is more than just unscientific—it’s an abuse of power.
“I also am urging the NIH to comply with congressional oversight and our investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. We must hold China accountable. We cannot leave any stone unturned to find out how this pandemic started and how to prevent the next one.”
NOTE: On February 10, 2022, Leader Rodgers and more than 70 House Republicans urged President Biden and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra to accept that COVID-19 has become endemic, recognize that current heavy-handed government interventions are doing more harm than good, and immediately begin the process to unwind the Public Health Emergency so our country can get back to normal.
