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WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, the Ranking Member of the Research and Technology Subcommittee, U.S. Congressman Mike Waltz (FL-6) questioned witnesses, Dr. David Relman of Stanford University and Dr. Stanley Perlman of the University of Iowa, during the U.S. House of Representatives first committee hearing on the origins of COVID-19, the Chinese Communist Party’s cover up, and the lack of objectivity from the scientific community.

“It’s a little insane and kind of nuts that eighteen months after this outbreak, trillions of dollars spent, millions of lives lost, millions more disrupted, businesses ruined, and kids falling further behind in school than they already were, that this is the first hearing that the Majority has hosted on the origins of the coronavirus,” said Waltz. “The total lack of urgency to get to the bottom of this a year and a half after the outbreak is a bit outrageous.”

Waltz went on to question Dr. David Relman on whether either potential hypothesis, natural or lab leak, for the origins of COVID-19 should be ruled out or if either is viable. Dr. Relman responded affirming that both are viable hypotheses that should be considered.

Waltz went on to question Dr. Stanley Perlman concerning a letter he signed onto in March 2020 that “strongly condemned conspiracy theories that suggested COVID-19 does not have a natural origin,” which had a damaging effect on the United States’ ability to get to the bottom of COVID-19’s origins, and whether he still stands by that statement.

“The Chinese coverup has been abhorrent,” said Waltz. “But just as inexcusable is the scientific community who has not been objective, who has effectively shut off lines of research, whose livelihoods depend on funding pertaining to that research and who could be compromised.”

Watch the full exchange here.