The following statement after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that the Wuhan Institute of Virology will no longer receive U.S. funding:

“The Wuhan Institute of Virology should not receive another cent of U.S. taxpayer funding. After years of conducting dangerous gain-of-function research at inadequate biosafety levels, cutting off all American taxpayer dollars from the WIV is an essential and obvious step in the right direction.

This is especially timely as mounting evidence and intelligence continue to suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic originated from a laboratory failure in Wuhan. Rewarding the likely source of a global pandemic with American resources will only lead to more future health risks.

Further, the Select Subcommittee recently revealed that prominent public health authorities — including Dr. Anthony Fauci — knew about the risky laboratory conditions in Wuhan prior to the spread of COVID-19 worldwide.

Covering up for the failures of a Chinese lab, hiding critical evidence from the American people, and facilitating the public promotion of a false, alternative narrative is extremely concerning and deserves thorough investigation.

The Select Subcommittee will continue to investigate the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic and the possible cover-up by America’s public health leaders.”

Brad Wenstrup is a Republican and represents Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District, which covers Lawrence County. He is chair of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.