Senators Call on USAID to Turn Over Information Requested on COVID-19 Origins

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, ahead of Samantha Power, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), yet again called on Administrator Power to turn over information requested by himself and 24 other Republican Senators on the origins of COVID-19.

“To date, the USAID has failed to provide any information that was requested by 25 U.S. Senators on the origins of COVID-19. Congress has a duty to conduct oversight, yet the Biden administration’s obstruction is prohibiting important investigations from taking place,” said Dr. Paul. “While I’ll have the opportunity to question Administrator Power during today’s hearing, this isn’t just a USAID problem of concealing information, this is a Biden administration-wide problem in which there is a concerted effort to withhold critical information from Congress.”

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Dr. Paul has sent dozens of letters to federal agencies requesting documents relating to the origins of COVID-19, gain-of-function research, and the U.S. governments culpability in funding risky virus enhancing research that likely caused COVID-19. The American people deserve transparency, and Dr. Paul will continue to leave no stone unturned in search of accountability.

You can watch Dr. Paul’s questioning at today’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing HERE starting at 10 a.m. ET.

Background:

Following an August 3, 2022, hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight, a letter was sent to Administrator Power requesting documents and information, which Senators have yet to receive.

In a letter sent April 5, 2023, the Senators reaffirmed previous outstanding requests for agency records relating to USAID-funded work involving pathogens conducted in China, including grant awards to EcoHealth Alliance and the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

At the end of every year, Dr. Paul releases his annual ‘Festivus’ Report, which exposes outlandish ways government uses American hard-earned tax dollars. During today’s hearing, he discussed examples from his recent report, including $1.1 million to get mice drunk, $2.3 million to inject puppies with cocaine, and $3 million to watch a steroid-induced hamster fight. Dr. Paul additionally highlighted over $120 billion in improper payments from Medicare and Medicaid. Dr. Paul called on Congress and GAO to help get spending under control and continue uncovering the increasing waste and abuse in government.

You can read the April 5th letter HERE.