The House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday passed its version of a Senate-approved bill that would force the Biden administration to declassify information about the coronavirus’ origins — including its ties to a Chinese lab.
Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines would be required to declassify “any and all information relating to potential links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology” and COVID-19, as well as “make available to the public as much information as possible” regarding the virus’ origin, according to the bill.
The committee approved the legislation with a bipartisan voice vote Tuesday in which no one dissented.
It will now go to the House floor for a vote, then to President Biden’s desk for his signature.
So far, the White House has made no indication that the president would veto legislation, meaning Americans could be one step closer to learning what intelligence officials know about where the virus came from.
Releasing that information would “help inform the public as to why the FBI director has indicated that a COVID-19 lab leak is not just a possibility, but approaches the idea that is likely,” Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said Tuesday.