In a rare display of bipartisanship, the House of Representatives has voted unanimously in favor of a bill that calls for the declassification of information related to the origin of COVID-19. The bill orders the Director of National Intelligence to provide Congress with an unclassified report containing information on the Wuhan Institute of Virology and its possible connection to the outbreak of COVID-19. It also calls for information on coronavirus research or related activities performed at the institute before the outbreak of the pandemic, and information about researchers at the institute who fell ill in the fall of 2019.
The bill now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk, but it is uncertain whether he will sign it. Nevertheless, the move highlights the continued need for government transparency and accountability. With the COVID-19 pandemic having caused global panic and led to unprecedented restrictions on individual freedoms, the public must have access to accurate information about its origins.
The bill’s passage has been praised by supporters as an important step towards holding those responsible for the pandemic accountable. Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri tweeted that the bill’s passage would allow the American people to see what their government knows about COVID-19 origins and that those who lied about it could be held accountable.
Overall, the House’s unanimous vote highlights the need for transparency and accountability when it comes to the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the world continues to grapple with the fallout from the pandemic, governments must be transparent about what they know and what they are doing to prevent future outbreaks.
- Aaron - The Not Top Secret Podcast
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