VA congressman introduces amendment asking Biden to declassify intel linking Wuhan lab to COVID-19 origins

Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., on Thursday introduced an amendment asking President Biden to declassify intelligence linking the Wuhan Institute of Virology to the origins of COVID-19.

"From the very beginning, the Chinese Communist Party covered up the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and hindered investigations at every turn," Cline said in a Thursday statement. "Life as we know it was put on pause for more than a year, and the American people, as well as the rest of the world, deserve answers. If there is any intelligence related to the origins of the pandemic, it must be released to ensure both transparency and accountability." Cline introduced the amendment in the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. Republican Sens. Josh Hawley and Mike Bruan introduced similar legislation in April, forcing the Biden administration to declassify intelligence related to the origins of the virus after it passed in May. The Virginia congressman also introduced an amendment to retain U.S. funding for the World Health Organization until Secretary of State Antony Blinken certifies that the organization was fair and transparent in its investigation into the origins of COVID-19.