III 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 256 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the need to conduct a 

comprehensive investigation to determine the origins of COVID–19. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 28 (legislative day, MAY 27), 2021 

Mr. MARSHALL (for himself and Mrs. GILLIBRAND) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the need to 

conduct a comprehensive investigation to determine the 

origins of COVID–19. 

Whereas COVID–19 has taken the lives of nearly 3,500,000 

individuals around the world; 

Whereas understanding the origins of the COVID–19 pandemic is essential to addressing our vulnerabilities and 

preventing future crises; 

Whereas, in May 2020, the World Health Assembly did not 

authorize a comprehensive investigation into the origins 

of COVID–19, and instead passed a significantly limited 

compromise resolution, with Chinese government support, 

which did not explicitly include in its scope the possibility 

of a research-related accident; 


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•SRES 256 ATS 

Whereas the 2020 World Health Assembly resolution and its 

terms of reference, which were negotiated privately between the World Health Organization (in this preamble 

referred to as ‘‘WHO’’) and Chinese authorities, handed 

the Chinese government control over the joint-study process by giving the Chinese government veto power over 

which international experts were allowed to participate in 

the joint study and by agreeing that most primary research would be carried out by Chinese teams without ensuring broad access to primary data by international experts; 

Whereas, as a result of these terms, the significant structural, procedural, and analytical shortcomings of the joint 

study, and the severe restrictions imposed by Chinese authorities, the WHO-convened joint study into the origins 

of COVID–19 was prevented from providing a balanced 

consideration of the multiple theories of the origin of 

COVID–19; 

Whereas only 4 of the 313 pages of the joint-study team report and its annexes addressed the possibility of a laboratory accident, and no thorough examination of the lab incident hypothesis was carried out by the joint-study 

team; 

Whereas some of the international experts on the joint-study 

team stated that they lacked the means and resources to 

properly investigate the research-related accident hypothesis, and they were neither able nor meant to do such a 

full investigation but instead were acting as a ‘‘study review group’’; 

Whereas WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom 

Ghebreyesus commented on March 30, 2021, the day the 

joint-study report was released, ‘‘I do not believe that 


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[the joint-study team’s] assessment [of a possible lab incident] was extensive enough. Further data and studies 

will be needed to reach more robust conclusions . . . potentially with additional missions involving specialist experts, which I am ready to deploy.’’; 

Whereas the WHO Director-General further commented, ‘‘As 

far as WHO is concerned all hypotheses remain on the 

table . . . We have not yet found the source of the virus, 

and we must continue to follow the science and leave no 

stone unturned as we do . . . It is clear that we need 

more research across a range of areas, which will entail 

further field visits.’’; 

Whereas the March 30, 2021 Joint Statement on the WHOconvened COVID–19 Origins Study by the United States 

and 13 other countries recognized the severe shortcomings of the joint-study process and called for ‘‘a 

transparent and independent analysis and evaluation, 

free from interference and undue influence.’’; 

Whereas, in spite of the devastation the COVID–19 pandemic 

has caused in the United States and around the world, 

no process currently exists to ensure a comprehensive investigation into the source of COVID–19; 

Whereas such an investigation is essential for ensuring this 

type of crisis never happens again for the benefit of all 

people, all nations, and future generations: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that— 

2 (1) a comprehensive investigation to determine 

3 the origins of COVID–19 must be conducted by the 

4 World Health Organization immediately, with access 


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1 to all relevant records, samples, and personnel in 

2 China, and that such investigation must fully explore 

3 all possible sources of the COVID–19 pandemic, in4 cluding exclusively ‘‘natural’’ zoonosis in the wild, 

5 human contamination in an animal farm, and a re6 search-related accident; 

7 (2) the United States delegation to the World 

8 Health Assembly should, in concert with allies and 

9 partners around the world, work to ensure that an 

10 international scientific investigation into the origins 

11 of COVID–19, with full access to all relevant 

12 records, samples, and personnel in China, will be au13 thorized by the World Health Assembly and imple14 mented with extreme urgency; and 

15 (3) should such a full investigation not be au16 thorized by the 2021 World Health Assembly, then 

17 the United States Government should immediately 

18 begin planning a comprehensive and data-driven in19 vestigation into the COVID–19 pandemic origins, in 

20 concert with willing partner governments and ex21 perts around the world. 

Æ 


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