Detroit News op-ed: We must get to the bottom of COVID's origins

Finally, Michigan is reopening. Recently, in a long overdue move, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer caught up with the science and rolled back the state's remaining pandemic restrictions.

While we are beginning to return to pre-pandemic life and routines, we cannot let this moment pass by without getting to the bottom of the origins of COVID-19. Uncovering the truth is imperative to preventing future pandemics and delivering answers to the American people.

Since the start of COVID-19, more than 20,000 Michiganians — and more than 600,000 Americans — have lost their lives. Beyond the heartbreaking death toll, the personal and economic suffering will be felt for years to come. This once-in-a-century nightmare has shuttered small businesses, decimated livelihoods, stolen students' learning opportunities, exacerbated mental health challenges, and more.

How did we get to this stage? Indications increasingly point to a laboratory leak as the most plausible theory. And with each passing day, it appears extremely likely the Chinese Communist Party has engaged in a deliberate coverup from the beginning.

In particular, a recent Wall Street Journal report, citing intelligence community sources, claimed that three researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology sought medical care in late 2019 with COVID-like symptoms. This raises new questions regarding where the virus originated. A chorus of scientific experts, including former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield, have also expressed that a lab leak bears responsibility.

Despite the mounting evidence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic majority have yet to hold a single congressional hearing on the pandemic's origins. Not one. President Joe Biden's leadership on China, similarly, continues to fall short. But that hasn't stopped House Republicans from continuing to push for a thorough and scientific investigation.

On the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over public health matters, we have been leading the charge for months to get answers. My colleagues and I recently sent a series of fact-finding letters to the National Institutes of Health requesting documents, particularly as it relates to grant funding given to the EcoHealth Alliance and the organization's involvement in coronavirus research in China.

Among other letters, we're also seeking relevant material from the CDC, as well as requesting classified briefings from the Departments of State and Homeland Security. Taken together, these federal agencies and research entities possess important pieces of the information puzzle that the public deserves to hear.

In addition to our committee's investigative efforts, GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy has unveiled an eight-part framework to hold China accountable, bring much-needed transparency, and deliver justice to the American people.

Regarding transparency, some of the plan's key components include declassifying appropriate intelligence and overhauling the inept World Health Organization, which is heavily influenced by China.

To promote justice, the plan includes steps like imposing economic sanctions and giving Americans who lost a loved one to the pandemic the ability to seek damages from the Chinese Communist Party.

We cannot leave any stone unturned in pursuit of the truth. If a foreign adversary attempts to cover up its responsibility for a global pandemic — as appears to be the case — we cannot turn a blind eye to the resulting anguish and preventable loss of human life.

China must be held to account for its deception. At the same time, the United States must strengthen our preparedness for any public health crises that may arise in the future. Pelosi must let Congress do its job and let Congress provide oversight into the origins of COVID-19.

U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, represents Michigan's 7th District and is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Education and Labor Committee. This op-ed originally appeared in the June 30 edition of the Detroit News.