Science is Not A Partisan Issue

Floor Speech

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Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Speaker, more than 600,000 Americans have reportedly died from COVID-19; grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters. The true toll of this disease will never be fully understood; not only the loss of life, but the loss of the means to provide for one's family for those who survived, the mental anguish over the loss of a loved one, and the fear and uncertainty of the future.

It is unfortunate that, despite all this suffering, COVID-19 has devolved into a partisan issue, each side bickering as to who is to blame. Despite that, science is not a partisan issue. The facts are this disease killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. It is one of the deadliest diseases to ever hit America. And, for good reason, many Americans want to know how it happened to ensure it never happens again.

That should be a bipartisan pursuit. But, unfortunately, my colleagues across the aisle, led by Speaker Pelosi, have stonewalled our attempts to investigate the origins of COVID-19, and they have done so even in the face of mounting evidence and unanswered questions.

There have been so many theories circulating as to how COVID-19 originated. Some in the scientific community say it was of natural origins, some say it was of manmade origins.

Can we expect the American people to educate themselves on virology and the origins of COVID-19? No. What we can expect is they demand Congress do its job, investigate, and get to the bottom of exactly where this virus came from and how it was so devastating to America.

What we know, based on evidence and research, is that this virus didn't have to be as deadly as it was. Attempts by the Chinese Communist Party to cover up and deceive delayed global readiness in preparing for the devastation of COVID-19.

A 2020 report by the University of Southampton found if interventions in China would have been conducted 1 week earlier, cases could have been reduced by 66 percent; 2 weeks earlier, cases could have been reduced by 86 percent; and if interventions by China had been conducted 3 weeks earlier, cases could have been reduced by 95 percent.

Mounting evidence continues to indicate the CCP intentionally hid information and lied about what it knew about the virus. Additionally, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom knowingly and willfully downplayed or outright denied the Chinese Communist Party's negligence, and, instead, chose to cower rather than stand up for the international community.

I am as angry as any American over the avoidable loss of life, loss of livelihood, and loss of future due to the CCP's COVID-19 coverup. We must get to the bottom of how it started and how they deceived the rest of the globe, and that is exactly what Republicans have been working toward.

House Republicans have introduced numerous measures to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for their malfeasance, only to be blocked by Democrats. This has not shaken our resolve. We will continue to do the people's business in the people's House.

Holding China accountable requires transparency and justice. We need to declassify intelligence surrounding the origins of COVID-19. The American people have a right to know.

We need to evaluate and defund any investments in gain of function research with the CCP or China. We need to reform the World Health Organization by advocating for new leadership and transparency. And we need to pursue visa and economic sanctions on members of the CCP and any others responsible for the COVID-19 coverup.

We need to send a loud and clear message to the globe that America will hold those responsible for the COVID-19 coverup accountable. We must leave no doubt that if you lie to America and cause death of her people, there will be hell to pay.

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