(Washington, DC) House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK), Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Jay Obernolte (R-CA), and Energy Subcommittee Chairman Brandon Williams (R-NY) sent a letter to the Department of Energy (DOE) requesting a classified briefing on the origins of COVID-19.

 The letter was prompted following a recent report from the Wall Street Journal noting that DOE had altered its position regarding the origins of COVID-19, now concluding the virus likely originated in a lab located in Wuhan, China. The Committee requested information on why DOE changed its position and what scientific and intelligence metrics were utilized in coming to this new stance.

“Our top priority is to keep Americans safe, healthy, and secure,” Chairman Lucas said. “After the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on our country, it is only fair that we understand the origins of this deadly virus to best inform ongoing response efforts and better prepare us for future outbreaks. I look forward to meeting with DOE leaders to learn more about their understanding of this issue. There has been a troubling lack of transparent, open discussion about COVID’s origins, so I hope we receive informative, factual answers on this critical question.”

"Americans and the world deserve to know the truth about the origins of COVID-19,” said Rep. Obernolte. “Public debate on this issue has been disturbingly suppressed, with both social media companies and government agencies engaged in the deemphasis and censorship of the laboratory leak theory that is now commonly accepted as the most likely origin of the virus. The Department of Energy’s official change in position is a significant development, and if new scientific and intelligence metrics were utilized in arriving at this conclusion, then it is vital our committee members be made aware of that information as we conduct due oversight on this issue.”

“I ran for Congress to make the government more accountable and transparent to the people,” said Rep. Williams. “I am proud to work with Chairman Lucas to bring more transparency to the origins of Covid.”

The Members requested the briefing on or before March 20, 2023.

The full letter is available here.