During the global COVID-19 pandemic, there were certainly many unknowns. But one of the most prominent questions people had was where the deadly virus actually came from.
To answer this question and others, the US Congress created the bipartisan House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. But now, nearly four years later, with no answers, the two committee leaders, Brad Wenstrup and Raul Ruiz, can’t seem to agree on how to proceed.
Did the COVID-19 Virus Come From China?
When the COVID-19 virus began sweeping the planet in March 2020, the first thing everyone wanted to know was where it originated. Many people believed that it came from a lab in Wuhan, China, where researchers were studying this and other viruses.
Ohio Congressman Brad Wenstrup was one of those people. He said that when the pandemic first began spreading, he immediately “start[ed] thinking about biological weapons.”
Wernstrup Created the House Subcommittee
Because Congressman Wenstrup was especially concerned that COVID-19 was actually a form of biological warfare, he created the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic to find out exactly where it came from and why it started spreading as it did.
The bipartisan panel set to work investigating the origin of the virus, as well as the vaccine mandates, school shutdowns, and the consequent results of the entire pandemic on American lives.
Congressman Raul Ruiz Joined the Subcommittee
In order to ensure the subcommittee included leaders from both political parties, California Democrat Congressman Raul Ruiz joined Wenstrup on the panel.
Ruiz is an emergency medicine specialist, and he promised America that he and Wenstrup would work hand-in-hand to finally get the answers everyone is so desperate for.
The COVID-19 Pandemic Subcommittee Has Hit a Wall
However, it’s now been sixteen months since the two congressmen joined forces, and they have yet to answer any of America’s questions, including whether or not the virus was leaked by researchers in China.
Ruiz recently announced that his official opinion is that the subcommittee will never find the concrete evidence they are looking for and that, at this point, the investigation isn’t helping the American people heal from the trauma of the deadly pandemic. It’s just dividing the nation even further.
Ruiz Says There Is No Evidence the Virus Came From a Lab in Wuhan
Ruiz said, “We have gone through a countless amount of pages, countless amount of interviews, countless amount of hours,” and there is no concrete evidence in any of this documentation that proves the virus came from the lab in Wuhan.
Instead, Ruiz and many other scientists argue that the virus simply moved from an animal to a human and then spread naturally all over the world.
The Congress Subcommittee Has Also Studied the Effects of the Pandemic and Subsequent Lockdown
In addition to investigating the origin of the COVID-19 virus, the Congressional subcommittee has also been exploring the consequences of the mask mandate, physical separation, vaccines, and lockdown the government enforced during the pandemic.
Ruiz and many others have argued that the Republican members of the panel have been too focused on what went wrong during the pandemic. And that this information will only serve to divide Americans further and deter them from trusting their government if there is ever another global pandemic.
Is the Government Spreading Misinformation About COVID-19?
In a recent interview, Ruiz explained that he is worried that the subcommittee is actually harming Americans. He said, “Look, I’m a doctor, and I took an oath to do no harm.”
Ruiz continued, “We cannot get to a place where we are explicitly or implicitly sowing distrust in COVID vaccines,” and warned that the subcommittee was releasing “disinformation and misinformation.”
Medical Opinions Are Different Than Misinformation
However, Wenstrup believes these details are crucial to analyzing and understanding what happened during the pandemic and consequent lockdown.
He said, “An opinion is far different from misinformation, and if we’re not allowed to have opinions in the medical community, we are doomed.” Wenstrup wants to continue the investigation, but the divided opinions between him and Ruiz are becoming detrimental to the subcommittee’s efficiency.
The Panel Plans to Interrogate Dr. Fauci for His Role in the Pandemic
While Ruiz argues that delving any deeper into the pandemic will spread misinformation to Americans and people all over the world, the Republican members of the subcommittee are planning on interrogating Dr. Anthony Fauci this week in the hopes of finally getting some concrete answers.
Dr. Fauci is known as the world’s leading COVID-19 expert, so what he says in his upcoming testimony will certainly influence the Congressional panel, specifically if they plan to continue their work or abandon it after less than two years. If Fauci releases any relevant or drastically new information, the subcommittee could continue to investigate, but it’s fairly unlikely.
The COVID-19 Subcommittee Will Likely Dissolve
At the moment in time, many believe that the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic will dissolve in the near future. The distrust and arguments between Ruiz and Wenstrup have led to a stalemate, and the general feeling is that the investigation has come to a natural end.
Whether government leaders like then-president Trump, Dr. Fauci, or others made mistakes or not, the subcommittee has spent all the time and money it possibly could on finding out. Now, they simply have to move forward with the immense amount of information they do have.
Political Division in America Is at an All-Time High
While the divide within the COVID-19 subcommittee is certainly frustrating for both sides, it’s just one example of the political division in America. Some say that the feud between Republicans and Democrats is stronger than ever and that this inability of government officials or Americans to see either side is extremely problematic.
With the US presidential election right around the corner, Americans are posed with another big political fight: Trump versus Biden. Whoever wins the White House will absolutely influence which medical professional, likely Ruiz or Wenstrup, will be poised as the “all-knowing” doctor, just as Fauci was just a few short years ago.
