Latest Update from Rep. Rouzer

Americans Deserve Transparency on the Origins of COVID-19

This past week, Republicans on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released a report indicating COVID-19 may have been tied to China’s bioweapons research program. (In my opinion, there is no question about it.) The report contains critical discrepancies from the Intelligence Community's 2021 report on the possible origins of COVID-19, which claimed they were “skeptical of allegations that SARS-CoV-2 was a biological weapon." The Select Committee's report is an unclassified summary of the broader classified version. Highlights of the unclassified summary include:

The investigation revealed serious shortcomings with both the classified and declassified versions of the Intelligence Community’s (IC) Updated Assessment on COVID-19 Origins.
The IC withheld key information from the public in the declassified version of its Updated Assessment, information that could have been shared without damaging national security. These omissions likely skewed the public’s understanding of key issues.
The Committee believes the IC downplayed important information relating to the possible links between COVID-19 and China’s bioweapons research based in part on input from outside experts.
Findings conclude that there are indications that SARS-CoV-2 may have been tied to China’s biological weapons research program and spilled over to the human population during a lab-related incident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
The Committee will seek to declassify the classified version of their report in the next Congress. In addition, the Committee plans to explore all means at its disposal to require the IC to fully cooperate and comply until their requests are met with adequate information.

In the 118th Congress, my fellow House Republican colleagues and I will demand answers on behalf of the American people as to why the Intelligence Community failed to share pertinent information with elected officials regarding the full truth behind the Chinese Communist Party’s involvement with this pandemic that impacted millions of American families. We are committed to holding China accountable for hiding the truth from the world to ensure our country is protected against these threats in the future.

NC-07 Academy Nominations

Our United States Service Academies provide the highest standard of undergraduate education and the training of commissioned officers for the United States Armed Forces. Each year, I look forward to nominating some of the best and brightest young men and women from across Southeastern North Carolina for consideration to attend a United States Service Academy. Congratulations to this year's outstanding group of students on their nominations! I wish them the best of luck as they move forward with the application process. Click here for a full list of this year's nominees.

Supporting the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program

For two decades, the McGovern-Dole Program has improved education and reduced childhood hunger around the globe. McGovern-Dole has provided more than five and a half billion school meals benefitting over 31 million school-age children and their communities abroad. It also benefits our farm families and, in many ways, is a form of diplomacy and advertisement of the goodness of the American people.

I have seen this program in action — and it is a special sight to see. Several years ago I joined the then Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee Mike Conaway to visit schools in third world countries where food is scarce and extreme poverty exists like you cannot believe. The visit clearly showed how imperative a nutritious meal is to a child's survival. Just as important, the McGovern-Dole program also provides an opportunity for them to learn, laying the foundation for an improved life and achievement. For many of these children from very poor means, the food provided at their school through this program is their only good meal of the day.

I’m proud to celebrate its success, along with the hard work of the American farm families who make this program possible. Watch my full speech on the House Floor in support of this program below.

This Week's Good News Story

For this week's good news story, I'm congratulating the Wilmington Fire Department on their 125th anniversary! According to WECT, "the department became a career organization on Dec. 1, 1897. At that time, the city had 30 firefighters and just three fire stations. Now, the department has nine stations and over 200 employees." Over the 125 years of its existence, the Wilmington Fire Department has protected the citizens of Wilmington by responding to calls ranging from structure fires to medical emergencies. Their commitment and service to our community is beyond any measure of value. Please join me in thanking the Wilmington Fire Department for the work they do to protect our communities! Congratulations on this special anniversary!

Closing Thoughts...

“Our obligations to our country never cease but with our lives. We ought to do all we can.” - John Adams