WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) is calling on the White House to ensure a thorough and unbiased investigation into the origin of COVID-19.

Recent reporting of three researchers at a Wuhan lab who sought medical treatment after becoming sick in November 2019 has painted a chilling picture of the early days of the pandemic. In recent weeks, top medical experts have also become more vocal in questioning whether COVID-19 could have been released from a Wuhan lab.

“The American people deserve to know how President Biden is working to keep Communist China’s influence out of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) investigation into the origin of COVID-19,” said Senator Blackburn. “President Biden’s fear of a confrontation with Xi Jinping is cause for concern. The families of nearly 600,000 Americans killed by this virus deserve answers.”

The Chinese Communist Party has gone to extreme lengths to cover up their role in the spread of COVID-19, which first appeared in Wuhan, China. Past reports indicate that in the early days of the pandemic, Beijing withheld critical raw data from the WHO that could have helped officials and health experts halt the spread of the virus. Chinese propaganda officials have even gone so far as to spread an unfounded conspiracy theory that COVID-19 originated from a U.S. military base.

Senator Blackburn is calling on President Biden to answer the following questions:

1. According to reports, the WHO asked the U.S. government to recommend three experts for the China–WHO joint investigation team. Although they were not ultimately selected, another U.S. scientist was selected for the team.

a. Please name the three scientists recommended by the U.S. and articulate the WHO’s reasoning for not choosing these individuals.

2. Beijing has refused to share critical raw data on the initial cases of COVID-19 in China. Has Beijing provided the U.S. with that data? If not, please explain why.

3. China–WHO joint investigation stated that they “lacked expertise and access to investigate a potential lab leak.” What will the administration do to ensure that competent, impartial experts are involved in future investigations?

4. WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said the organization was not mandated to do a forensic audit. Why was this the case? Will your administration insist on a fulsome forensic audit for future outbreaks?

You can read the full letter here.