On Friday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends First,” Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) reacted to an Inspector General’s report that found that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) failed to properly oversee grants given to EcoHealth Alliance, including work at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, by saying that the NIH doesn’t have any task more important than ensuring they’re looking wherever they can to protect the health of Americans.
Co-host Todd Piro asked, “Why? I’m trying to get at the why, what else better does the NIH and the bureaucrats there have to do than uncover every single stone to make sure they are protecting the health of every single American? This makes no sense.”
Miller-Meeks responded, “Precisely and that’s exactly what the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic is going to do. So, I’m pleased that we’re having this select subcommittee. Our focus is going to be very different, to look at the origins of COVID-19. And there [are] valid reasons to do that. This is not a partisan endeavor, but there are valid reasons, as you mentioned, biosafety, security, where NIH funding goes, whether it’s grants or it’s subgrants, how do we prevent the next pandemic and have timely disclosure so that we could — nations can prepare? So, there are valid reasons to do this, and I’m delighted that we’re going to be getting this underway under the leadership of Dr. Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH).”
She added that the lack of oversight is particularly egregious in light of the Wuhan Institute of Virology’s known record of safety issues.
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