Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has called for a new investigation into the federal government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic to look into the origins of the virus and the actions taken by the government to contain it.
The investigation comes as a result of a promise made by Republicans in August of last year to probe the origins of the pandemic and to launch an investigation into Dr. Anthony Fauci, who served as chief medical advisor to President Donald Trump and Joe Biden during the height of the pandemic.
McCarthy is moving forward by empaneling a House subcommittee named the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government to conduct the formal investigation. It will be led by Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), who co-chairs the GOP Doctors Caucus and will include Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). Other members of the newly-formed panel are Reps. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), John Joyce (R-PA), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Ronny Jackson (R-TX) and Rich McCormick (R-GA).
I’m honored to serve on the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.
It’s time to reveal the truth on the origins of COVID, the authoritarian Democrat response, vaccines, and Fauci’s NIAID involvement in gain-of-function research.https://t.co/76hEq3Fh4z
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) January 25, 2023
Specific details about the subcommittee were announced in the new House rules package, which calls on members to thoroughly assess the “efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency” of all taxpayer funds and government programs related to the pandemic, taking note of fraud and waste.
The group is further charged with determining the effectiveness of any federal laws and regulations enacted to address COVID-19. It is directed to address the impact of pandemic policy on the economy, small businesses, communities and schools.
The subcommittee is also authorized to examine the propriety and effectiveness of the mandatory vaccination policy for federal employees that has been in place.
The panel is directed to forward its reports to the House or any relevant committees. McCarthy has directed that a final report must be filed no later than January 2, 2025.
Corporate media pundits and Democrats are already criticizing the Speaker’s decision to include Greene in the subcommittee. Her involvement is being seen by many as an effort to rebrand herself as a lawmaker who can bridge the gap between the various factions of the Republican Party and possibly position herself as a running mate for President Trump in 2024.
In an interview with NBC this week, Steve Bannon said that Greene is “no shrinking violet, she’s ambitious — she’s not shy about that, nor should she be.” He added that she now sees herself on the “short list for Trump’s VP.”
Bannon said: “When MTG looks in the mirror, she sees a potential president smiling back.”
