Over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Department of Energy concluded that COVID-19 “most likely arose from a laboratory leak.” While this has always been the most plausible origin of the virus, it has been dubbed a conspiracy theory for the last three years. 

First and foremost, this revelation proves that we must hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for unleashing COVID, covering up its nefarious actions, and ultimately killing millions of people around the world. We simply cannot downplay the fact that China’s lies led to widespread suffering, death, and destruction.

Yet we also cannot ignore the actions of those here in the United States which enabled and weaponized this catastrophe as an excuse to infringe on Americans’ constitutional freedoms. For years, Big Tech companies censored the truth, corporate media denied the truth, and government officials hid the truth. In fact, unelected bureaucrats have brazenly lied to the American people about nearly every aspect of the COVID pandemic.

From masks and lockdowns to the origins of COVID and vaccine effectiveness, government officials, such as Dr. Fauci, knowingly spread falsehoods that caused permanent damage to our nation. Many businesses shuttered forever, a generation of children forfeited years of learning, and millions of Americans lost loved ones without being able to say goodbye. 

While it will take years to know the true economic, educational, and health impacts of COVID restrictions, many Americans raised valid concerns as bureaucrats pushed these severely misguided and unconstitutional policies. Yet questioning the COVID status quo led to being canceled, censored, and labeled as a conspiracy theorist. 

We now know that we were right all along — while those entrusted to successfully guide our nation through the pandemic corrupted the truth in order to maintain power.

Mark my words, all individuals responsible for this travesty must answer for their actions, including the Chinese Communist Party, Biden Administration officials, and Big Tech companies. House Republicans will continue advancing commonsense legislation to return our nation to normalcy and investigate COVID-related failures to provide the American people with the answers, transparency, and accountability they deserve.

As you know, the residents of East Palestine, Ohio have been struggling for weeks due to a now infamous train derailment. To avoid a horrific explosion, officials decided to intentionally burn off some of the hazardous chemicals, creating environmental and health concerns. The Biden Administration’s response to the crisis has been severely disappointing, prompting warranted criticism. President Biden’s own Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, claimed he was “taking personal time” when questioned about his department’s handling of the situation early last week. 

The following day, President Donald Trump visited East Palestine, where he met with local residents and donated pallets of cleaning supplies, food, and water. Interestingly, Secretary Buttigieg finally found the time to travel to Ohio the next day — exemplifying how the Biden Administration’s “leadership” is always too little, too late. As for President Biden, he was too busy meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky in Europe to pay a visit to Americans struggling in East Palestine.

Time and time again, President Biden and his Administration shamelessly prioritize everyone other than Americans. Whether it’s spending more than $100 billion in aid to Ukraine or ensuring illegal aliens have resources at the southern border, Biden notoriously advances policies that leave the American people behind. In stark contrast, President Trump always puts Americans first. I applaud President Trump’s America First leadership, and I strongly encourage President Biden to follow suit.