Democrats blast Republicans for ‘fueling a political agenda’ with Covid report and push back on lab leak claim

Despite being on a bipartisan House subcommittee, Democrats and Republicans tasked with evaluating the government’s response and handling of the Covid-19 pandemic released dueling reports on their two-year investigation.

In a 60-page report released on Tuesday, Democrats on the Republican-led House Select Subcommittee on the Coroanvius Pandemic chastised their GOP colleagues for concluding that the virus “likely” originated from a laboratory in Wuhan, China, baselessly accusing Dr. Anthony Fauci of trying to cover up the virus’ origins, and downplaying the efficiency of masks.

Republicans released those conclusions and many others in a 520-page report on Monday.

But Democrats accused the Republicans of abandoning their shared goal to “prevent and prepare for future pandemics” in order to advance “a political agenda.”

“Select Subcommittee Republicans spent the 118th Congress advancing a political agenda that has contributed little to the essential work of getting ahead of future public health crises and saving future lives,” Democrats wrote in their report.

The subcommittee was initially created under the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability in April 2020 to evaluate the government’s response to the pandemic and provide guidance to prepare for future pandemics.

However, once Republicans took control of the House in 2023 they re-directed the subcommittee to investigate the origins of Covid-19, government spending, and mask and vaccine mandates.

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a far-right member of the House, intensely questioned Dr. Anthony Fauci – who she often accused of playing a malignant role in the pandemic (Getty Images)

But the probe has become overshadowed by partisan politics. In their report, Republicans furthered claims that the virus was likely part of a lab leak in Wuhan, that vaccine and mask mandates were unnecessary, that Fauci played a malevolent role in the pandemic, and that the Biden administration used the pandemic to infringe on the rights of Americans.

Stringing together bits of email conversations, the Republican report suggested Fauci knew Covid-19 came from a lab in Wuhan but attempted to cover it up by promoting a study that supported the natural origins theory.

The Democrats’ report strongly pushed back on that claim, citing testimony from multiple people that confirmed Fauci had no relationship to the study on the origins of Covid-19. They accused Republicans of focusing on it because of “a desire to substantiate the extreme and baseless narrative” that Fauci was somehow involved.

While the Republican report concluded Covid “likely emerged because of a laboratory or research-related accident,” the Democratic report said that could not be confirmed and arguments were “largely circumstantial.”

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was accused of covering up the number of nursing home deaths in his state during the pandemic (Getty Images)

“Republicans’ investigation did not uncover the origins of Covid-19 — Both pathways remain plausible and we are more or less where we started,” the Democratic report concluded.

Democrats also sought to blame the Trump administration for many pandemic mishandlings — though Trump left office less than a year into the pandemic — and accuse their Republican colleagues of purposefully undermining United States public health officials, thus contributing to misinformation.

Much of their report focused on lambasting their GOP colleague.

“During the 118th Congress, Select Subcommittee Republicans have failed to prove their spurious allegations,” Democrats wrote. “They failed to shed additional light on the origins of SARS-CoV-2—and instead advanced baseless attacks on Dr. Fauci and other public health professionals and further eroded in public trust in our nation’s scientists and public health officials.”

There are a few points the parties agreed on, as both believe New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and his executive chamber may have tried to cover up the number of nursing home deaths related to Covid-19.

Both also stress the importance of established and trustworthy officials relaying clear medical guidance to Americans.

The dueling reports also question the professionalism and reliability of Dr. Peter Daszak, an expert on disease who was tasked with understanding the origins of Covid-19 but was cut from government funding after an investigation revealed he improperly monitored research activity.

The Independent has asked the Republicans on the committee for comment.