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I hope you saw my latest weekly column.



ROGER WICKER: Dissenting Views, Once Ridiculed, are Now Mainstream
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This month, in a moment of bipartisanship, both the Senate and the House
unanimously passed a bill to require the Biden administration to declassify key
information about the origins of COVID-19. This legislation, the COVID-19
Origin Act of 2023, is long overdue. Full transparency is exactly what the
country needs as we turn the page on the pandemic.


Overdue Legislation an Antidote for Groupthink


What makes this bipartisan moment so remarkable is the left’s about-face. For
the past three years, thoughtful Americans who wanted more exploration of
COVID-19’s origins in China were dismissed out of hand. Beginning in 2020, a
number of scientists and health care professionals began good faith discussions
about the virus’s origins, challenging the establishment version that the virus
originated in nature. There were legitimate concerns about misinformation. But
far too often, medical experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, shut down
reasonable questions by marking them with a bright red “conspiracy theory”
stamp.

The COVID-19 Origin Act would help correct that groupthink. In 2021, as more
evidence came to light indicating the virus leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China,
I noted how this vindicated those thoughtful Americans. Now, two U.S.
intelligence agencies have endorsed the theory, and the left has been caught
flat-footed as their dismissals now look premature.

This legislation is a model for future government responses to public health
emergencies. Going forward, we must not silence dissent. Instead, we must
publicize the evidence so experts and other Americans can make the most
informed decisions. The scientific method relies on open mindedness, and so
should we.


Protecting American Sovereignty Against the WHO


The United States is not alone in charting its post-COVID-19 future. Last
month, the World Health Organization (WHO) published the first draft of a
“pandemic treaty,” a proposed international agreement about how member
countries should respond to health crises.

I have grave doubts about an international body like the WHO imposing
commitments on our country. The United States must not surrender our
sovereignty over health-care choices. For that reason, I cosponsored
legislation with Senators Risch and Johnson that would require the Senate to
approve any international agreements that legally obligate our nation, and I
will continue fighting any efforts that threaten our ability to make decisions
for ourselves.


Putting Federal Employees Back to Work


In addition, it is time for all federal employees to return to the workplace.
One of COVID-19’s lingering effects has been the service delays American
citizens face when dealing with federal agencies. The public should get prompt
responses from their government, but today many have difficulty receiving
timely help. During the pandemic, federal agencies implemented various remote
work structures. With many still working from home, concerns regarding
government responsiveness have only grown. For example, passport wait times
remain well above 2019 levels. By the end of last year, the IRS inventory of
suspended tax returns grew to nearly 6 million, backlogging identity theft case
resolution. Social Security claim processing times have ballooned to an average
of 191 days, more than double the 2019 average.

To combat this, I reintroduced the RETURN Act, which requires federal agencies
to publish their return-to-work plans. The remote work policies of three years
ago are no longer acceptable, and it is past time for all public servants to
get back to work.

The pandemic is over. As Congress and the Biden Administration consider
legislation that will shape our understanding of COVID-19 and our response to
future public health challenges, I remain committed to the principles that will
make us resilient in the face of crisis: transparency, independence, and prompt
constituent services.



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Thank you for your support,



Senator Roger Wicker


 
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