IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 462 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the need 
to conduct a comprehensive investigation to determine the origins of 
COVID–19, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 4, 2021 
Mr. NEWHOUSE submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regard-
ing the need to conduct a comprehensive investigation 
to determine the origins of COVID–19, and for other 
purposes. 
Whereas COVID–19 has taken the lives of nearly 3,500,000 
individuals around the world; 
Whereas understanding the origins of the COVID–19 pan-
demic is essential to addressing vulnerabilities and pre-
venting 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 sup-
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port, which did not explicitly include in its scope the pos-
sibility of a research-related accident; 
Whereas the 2020 World Health Assembly resolution and its 
terms of reference, which were negotiated privately be-
tween the World Health Organization (‘‘WHO’’) and Chi-
nese authorities, handed the Chinese Government control 
over the joint-study process by giving the Chinese Gov-
ernment 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 Chi-
nese 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 au-
thorities, 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 re-
port and its annexes addressed the possibility of a labora-
tory accident, and no thorough examination of the lab in-
cident 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 hypoth-
esis and they were neither able nor meant to do such a 
full investigation, but instead were acting as a ‘‘study re-
view group’’; 
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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 
[the joint study team’s] assessment [of a possible lab in-
cident] was extensive enough. Further data and studies 
will be needed to reach more robust conclusions . . . po-
tentially with additional missions involving specialist ex-
perts, 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 WHO- 
convened COVID–19 Origins Study by the United States 
and 13 other countries recognized the severe short-
comings 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 in-
vestigation into the source of COVID–19; and 
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, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
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