[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 22, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H2935-H2936]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    SCIENCE IS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Nehls) for 5 minutes.
  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

[[Page H2936]]

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.

                          ____________________