Media Contact 202-226-8467

Washington D.C. – Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Republican Leader on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement outlining the business the House Foreign Affairs Committee should prioritize upon Congress’ return, namely a bipartisan investigation into how both the Chinese Communist Party and the World Health Organization mishandled the coronavirus outbreak. 

“The House Foreign Affairs Committee enjoys a tradition of bipartisanship. As RealClearPolitics said last year, our committee is an ‘island of calm in the sea of partisan enmity.’ And as Chairman Engel often states – and I agree – partisanship should stop at the water’s edge. I have called upon the chairman to conduct a bipartisan investigation into the origins and spread of COVID-19.

“This committee’s jurisdiction has serious oversight responsibilities dating back to the Continental Congress, and I believe we have a duty to fulfill them. In my judgment, it is appropriate and necessary for the House Foreign Affairs Committee to investigate the actions by the Chinese Communist Party and the WHO under the leadership of Director General Tedros, especially in the early days of the pandemic. I remain hopeful that the majority will join my Republican colleagues and I to conduct this investigation in a fair and impartial manner. If we don’t learn from the mistakes of history, we are doomed to repeat them.”

###