Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2023

March 20, 2023

Today, I am pleased to sign into law S. 619, the "COVIDâ19 Origin Act of 2023." I share the Congress's goal of releasing as much information as possible about the origin of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVIDâ19). In 2021, I directed the Intelligence Community to use every tool at its disposal to investigate the origin of COVIDâ19, and that work is ongoing. We need to get to the bottom of COVIDâ19's origins to help ensure we can better prevent future pandemics. My Administration will continue to review all classified information relating to COVIDâ19's origins, including potential links to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. In implementing this legislation, my Administration will declassify and share as much of that information as possible, consistent with my constitutional authority to protect against the disclosure of information that would harm national security.

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

The White House, March 20, 2023.

NOTE: An original was not available for verification of the content of this statement. S. 619, approved March 20, was assigned Public Law No. 118â2.

Categories: Bill Signings and Vetoes : COVIDâ19 Origin Act of 2023, signing statement. Subjects: COVIDâ19 Origin Act of 2023; COVIDâ19 pandemic; COVIDâ19, disease origins. DCPD Number: DCPD202300208.

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