Something to hide, Joe? Biden says he hasn’t made a decision on whether he will sign a bill declassifying all information about the origins of COVID, even though the House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation to do so.
President Joe Biden said Friday afternoon that he has not made a decision on whether to sign a bill declassifying all information the government has about the origins of COVID-19.
“I haven’t made that decision yet,” he told reporters as he left the White House for another weekend in Wilmington, Delaware.
Earlier Friday, the House voted unanimously for the Biden administration to declassify all information related to the origins of COVID, nearly three years since the Trump administration declared a national emergency due to the pandemic.
The American public is now one step closer to discovering the truth about the beginning of the virus that caused widespread lockdowns and restrictions, and the extent to which China is to blame.
The vote passed 419-0 on Friday, with all members of Congress backing the offer to make public the links to the Wuhan lab and documents about the start of the virus.
The bill now heads to President Biden’s desk after passing it by the Senate earlier this month, and Republicans have required him to sign it to gain clarity on what happened.
President Joe Biden said Friday afternoon that he has not made a decision on whether to sign a bill declassifying all information the government has about the origins of COVID-19.
The House voted unanimously for the Biden administration to declassify all information related to the origins of COVID, including documents about the investigation into whether it was leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (above)
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden would “look” at the bill, but would not confirm whether he will sign it when asked at his briefing.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden would “look” at the bill, but would not confirm whether he will sign it when asked at his briefing.
The bipartisan vote comes two weeks after an Energy Department report indicated that COVID likely leaked from an accidental lab leak in China.
It would require the Director of National Intelligence to release all information, the declassification of “any and all information related to possible links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origin of the coronavirus disease.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray also said on March 1 that the bureau believes the virus most likely came from a laboratory accident.
The rest of the US government is divided on theories about the genesis of the pandemic that led to the shutdowns and restrictions.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Biden COVID adviser who retired from government last year, said he still believes it was probably a natural occurrence.
However, he has insisted that he is still “open-minded” about the theories and the origins may not be known for years, if ever.
He has faced constant scrutiny and was accused earlier this week of trying to exclude experts who supported the lab leak theory because they did not fit his “narrative.”
In an interview on Fox News on Thursday, Fauci denied the allegations.
The vote passed 419-0 on Friday, with all members of Congress backing the offer to make public the links to the Wuhan lab and documents about the start of the virus.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Biden COVID adviser who retired from government last year, has said he still believes it was probably a natural occurrence.
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced the bill, saying passage was the first step in finally holding China accountable.
“Today, the House passed my COVID origins bill with bipartisan support and sent it to the president’s desk,” Hawley said.
“This is a great first step in holding China accountable for this crisis, and I urge President Biden to sign it off immediately. The American people deserve to know the truth.
Experts say the true origin of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 1 million Americans, may not be known for many years, if ever.
“Transparency is the cornerstone of our democracy,” Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, said during the debate.
