Washington, D.C. (March 8, 2023)—Today, Rep. Raul Ruiz, M.D., Ranking Member of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, led Select Subcommittee Democrats in supporting an objective, fact-based efforts to determine the origins of the novel coronavirus and exposed Republicans’ commitment to baseless allegations that undermine preventing and preparing for future pandemics.  
 

“Answering the question of how the novel coronavirus came to be is one that should be driven by the need for thoughtful policy solutions. Whether the novel coronavirus emerged naturally or as the result of a lab leak does not change this.  And as our expert communities work to advance our understanding of the virus’s origins, Congress should be focused on developing commonsense solutions to put people over politics and protect our nation from the threat of a future public health crisis,” said Ranking Member Ruiz in his opening statement.
 

The hearing included testimony from author Nicholas Wade, whose writing has been endorsed by former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke and other white supremacists.  The hearing also featured the testimony of Dr. Robert Redfield, former Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Jamie Metzl, Ph.D., Senior Fellow at The Atlantic Council; and Paul G. Auwaerter, MD, MBA, Clinical Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases and Sherrilyn and Ken Fisher Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and former President of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
 

Select Subcommittee Democrats highlighted the importance of investigations into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic that are led by science and facts, which are crucial to our nation's public health.

• During her line of questioning, Rep. Deborah Ross said:  “My Democratic colleagues and I strongly support the expert community efforts to determine the origins of the novel coronavirus because doing so is critical to preventing and preparing for future pandemics.  Plain and simple… Our goal, here, should be to prevent something like this from happening again.  Which is why science and facts should guide legitimate investigations into the pandemic’s origins.”
   
• In response to questioning from Rep. Deborah Ross about the fact-based approach the Biden Administration has taken to investigate the origins of the novel coronavirus, Dr. Auwaerter testified:  “As a clinician, and as someone that does research, I think the objectivity is very important.”
   
• In his closing remarks, Ranking Member Ruiz emphasized the importance of letting the science and facts lead the way on any investigation into the virus's origins:  “We must allow scientists and intelligence experts do their research without politicians politicizing the issue, using extreme partisan rhetoric, or making conclusions or accusations without concrete evidence.”

Select Subcommittee Democrats pushed back on Republicans’ unfounded accusations that that vilify public health officials and undermine our efforts to prevent and prepare for future pandemics.

• Rep. Debbie Dingell said:  “During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I found it very disheartening to see public health professionals across this country vilified and attacked for supporting COVID-19 mitigation measures—basic safety measures and later vaccines.  They were trying to keep people safe and prevent deaths.”
   
• Rep. Debbie Dingell also called on Republicans to discard partisan attacks on public health officials:  “I take this commitment very seriously.  I want the facts.  But I hope, and say to my colleagues on the other side, we cannot go down a dangerous path by pushing unfounded conspiracies about Dr. Fauci and other long-serving carrier public health officials.”

Select Subcommittee Democrats took a strong stand against white supremacy and called on Republicans to join in focusing on expert-led investigations, instead of uplifting a discredited witness who has promoted racist ideology. 

• Rep. Kweisi Mfume said:  “Mr. Wade, let me just say this personally.  For a race of people that have endured, suffered, and survived three centuries of slavery, oppression, deprivation, degradation, denial, and its privileges, I am absolutely offended that you would have the opportunity to take this platform and to add anything of significance to it.”
   
• Rep. Jill Tokuda also spoke out against Mr. Wade’s participation in the hearing, emphasizing the rejection of his views by the mainstream medical and scientific communities:  “As an Asian-American woman representing an ethnically diverse district that would find offense with Mr. Wade’s work and conclusions in regard to race, I ask that the letter to the editor signed by more than 100 geneticists and biologists opposing the use of their research in Mr. Wade’s book be entered officially into the record.  This speaks to his professional credibility and calls into question his very presence on this panel.”