Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher, who also serves as the chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is seeking answers regarding a secret laboratory owned by Chinese entities in California. Earlier this month, a subpoena was issued by the House Select Committee on China in the City of Reedley to investigate the lab's discovery.
"It is deeply disturbing that a Chinese company set up a clandestine facility in small-town America that contained, per the CDC, ‘at least 20 potentially infectious agents’ like HIV and the deadliest known form of malaria," Gallagher said, according to a press release. "We are grateful to the city of Reedley for their cooperation. The American people deserve answers, and we will get to the bottom of this issue to ensure our adversaries are not endangering the safety of Americans on our soil."
Earlier this year, the illicit Chinese-owned facility in Reedley was uncovered and closed down. There have been concerns raised that this facility may have posed a potential threat to the safety of Americans, with suspicions of malicious intent by the CCP. However, some health security experts remain uncertain about any malevolent motives and argue that it was not a facility involved in the development of bioweapons, according to Daily Mail.
"I have been served with a congressional subpoena, very happily served with a congressional subpoena, because what that means is that Congress is taking us seriously and bipartisan Congress is taking us seriously," said Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba, according to ABC 30.
Reports emerged about the discovery of hundreds of mice within this facility, with some still alive and others deceased. Infectious diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis and COVID were all found within the facility. Additionally, the lab was found to contain medical waste, including human blood, medical equipment, refrigerators and more, according to Fox News.
The investigation into this matter is ongoing, with the Select Committee having obtained "thousands of pages of documents, hundreds of photographs and hours of video" as part of their inquiry. Universal Meditech Inc. and Prestige Biotech Inc. have been implicated for setting up the facility and having associations with Chinese companies. Additionally, they are under investigation for fraud and other allegations, according to a press release.
“In issuing these congressional subpoenas, Congress is taking an important step to further collect information and address this matter," said California Congressman Jim Costa in a press release. "It is my hope that we work in a bipartisan, coordinated manner to fully understand the scope of this lab and prevent any future labs like this one from operating illegally in our communities.”
