WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Republicans and Democrats on the House subcommittee exploring the coronavirus pandemic released dueling reports.
Republicans attacked the NIH Director and Dr. Anthony Fauci for mandates and social distancing. Democrats say the Trump administration’s response “led to the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes,” their report said.
“We are leaving with different impressions of what we did or did not find,” said Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.).
Investigators agree the virus likely originated in Wuhan, China. Republicans on the committee, including Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), said they’re confident in the “lab leak” theory.
“When it came from to the nature versus lab argument, there was far more forensics on the lab side,” Wenstrup said.
The FBI and Department of Energy said they agree. The National Intelligence Council and four additional intelligence agencies said they believe the coronavirus likely jumped from an animal to a person.
Lawmakers also looked into EcoHealth Alliance, a company that received U.S. taxpayer money and did research at a lab in Wuhan, China.
“I don’t think we’ll be able to prove that, but it was the type of research that can cause COVID and create COVID,” Wenstrup said.
Dr. Peter Daszak, the President of EcoHealth Alliance, pushed back at a hearing in May.
“Absolutely not,” Daszak said when asked whether EcoHealth Alliance caused the COVID-19 pandemic.
Democrats and Republicans have criticized EcoHealth Alliance for a lack of transparency. The Biden administration stopped funding for them in May. EcoHealth Alliance, in a response published online, criticized the House investigation as politically motivated.
“Sadly, EcoHealth remains the primary scapegoat for this political, anti-science attitude,” the statement said.
Reports from Democrats and Republicans said government secrecy from China has made it impossible to determine the true origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
