Congressional Committee Threatens HHS with Compulsion Over Covid-19 Inquiry
February 16, 2024
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, led by Chairman Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), is expressing strong dissatisfaction with the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) over perceived uncooperative behavior in an ongoing investigation into the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite receiving thousands of pages of documents from HHS, the committee criticizes the material as overly redacted and lacking in clarity regarding the pandemic’s origins, shutdown policies, and vaccine communications. The friction was highlighted during the testimony of HHS Assistant Secretary for Legislation Melanie Egorin, which failed to appease Republican members’ demands for transparency. Wenstrup’s recent letter to HHS signals a potential move towards compelling testimony if satisfactory responses are not forthcoming. This action underscores escalating tensions and the committee’s determination to obtain unobstructed information. While Democrats argue that the investigation has yet to yield new insights and risks politicizing pandemic responses, Republicans are focused on scrutinizing health policy handling and communication strategies during the COVID-19 crisis.
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[Source: STAT, February 16th, 2024]
