US House votes unanimously for declassification of Covid origins intelligence
File photo of US Capitol Building Photograph:( Reuters )
Story highlights
The intelligence that would be declassified as a result of of the legislation will also have information about China's Wuhan Institute of Virology. There are varying opinions within the US intelligence community as to whether the pandemic was a result of a lab leak of coronavirus or its jump to humans from animals.
The intelligence that would be declassified as a result of of the legislation will also have information about China's Wuhan Institute of Virology. There are varying opinions within the US intelligence community as to whether the pandemic was a result of a lab leak of coronavirus or its jump to humans from animals.
US lawmakers in the House of Representatives voted unanimously for declassification of US intelligence about origins of COVID-19. The development has come nearly three years after the start of the pandemic which became one of the biggest globe-spanning phenomenon in recent times. US lawmakers voted 419-0 for declassification. The bill will now be sent to US President Joe Biden's desk for his signature.
“The American public deserves answers to every aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Representative Michael Turner, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He represents the state of Ohio.
Turner said that the information that needs to be public includes "how this virus was created and, specifically, whether it was a natural occurrence or was the result of a lab-related event.”
China was the first country to come into the clutches of coronavirus pandemic. The first cluster of infections was found in the city of Wuhan. The virus soon spread all over the globe bringing economies to standstill due to lockdowns that sometimes lasted for months. It is widely alleged that the coronavirus was a man-made virus and was developed in Chinese labs. China denies all such allegations.
The intelligence that would be declassified as a result of of the legislation will also have information about China's Wuhan Institute of Virology. There are varying opinions within the US intelligence community as to whether the pandemic was a result of a lab leak of coronavirus or its jump to humans from animals.
"Transparency is a cornerstone of our democracy,” said Rep. Jim Himes, of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, during the debate.
Passage of the legislation was indicative of a rare bipartisanship between Democrats and Republicans.
If the legislation is signed into a law, it will require release within 90 days “any and all information relating to potential links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origin of the Coronavirus Disease."
(With inputs from agencies)
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