House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has named Republican members who will conduct an investigation into the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
The select subcommittee chosen on Tuesday night consists of Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), John Joyce (R-GA), Rich McCormick (R-GA), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Michael Cloud (R-TX) and Ronny Jackson (R-TX).
The team will be led by the co-chair of the GOP Doctors Caucus, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH).
The investigation is a fulfillment of GOP-led efforts to investigate coronavirus policies. It is expected to look into the origin of the virus as well as the actions the government took to contain it, such as pandemic restrictions.
The investigation will also include a probe of decisions by high-profile health officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, who served as chief medical adviser to both President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden during the pandemic.
Members of the committee are expected to conduct a thorough look into the “efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency” of all government moves relating to taxpayer dollars. They will also provide a report on the impact of the government’s pandemic policy on the country, from its economy to its schools.
Any findings by the subcommittee should be reported to the House or any House committee.
Democrat members will join the committee as soon as they name their choice. While it is unclear when they plan to do that, the running of the committee will be for just about two years as it is expected to submit a report of its findings on or before Jan. 2, 2025.
The subcommittee on COVID-19 was created alongside the subcommittee set to target the weaponization of the federal government. He also announced the GOP members of that committee in a tweet.
“Republicans have created two select subcommittees to stop the weaponization of the federal government and finally get answers to the COVID origins and the federal government’s gain of function research that contributed to the pandemic,” he tweeted, following with a list of the names of selected members.
Republicans have created two select subcommittees to stop the weaponization of the federal government and finally get answers to the COVID origins and the federal government’s gain of function research that contributed to the pandemic.
I'm proud to announce the members: pic.twitter.com/TnQnOX8fo9
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) January 24, 2023
In a letter to fellow Republicans, McCarthy shared hopes that the subcommittee will shed light on the “weaponization of government against our citizenry, writ large.”
