PRESS RELEASE Contact: press@congressionalintegrity.org
For Immediate Release
Date: February 13, 2023
Washington, D.C. – Today, James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, announced a select committee to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, based on nothing more than conspiracy theories – a striking contrast between the positive work the Coronavirus Crisis Subcommittee did under the last Congress. Similarly, Comer will fill the select committee with some of the most toxic conspiracy theorists in Congress, throwing any credibility this committee might have had out the window. In response, Congressional Integrity Project Executive Director, Kyle Herrig, said the following:
“If there is one thing we can rely on the MAGA House for, it is their relentless push of conspiracy theories. James Comer is one of the worst offenders. He continuously proves how unfit he is for his role as chairman of the Oversight Committee by giving these baseless right-wing conspiracy theories a platform in Congress. It is clear Comer is using his position for another pathetic political attempt to cast doubt upon President Biden, his administration, Dr. Fauci, and the Democrats, while trying to prop up Trump and Republicans in the next election. Rather than investigating the real issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Comer and this select committee are setting up to be the next MAGA circus act.”
James Comer and His MAGA Committee Are Only Interested In Investigating Conspiracy Theories. Instead of investigating the real scientific questions about the pandemic, MAGA Republicans in the House are only interested in partisan stunts:
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) wants to investigate her personal COVID-19 conspiracy theories, trivializing a virus that has killed millions of Americans. Greene holds extreme views about the COVID-19 pandemic, and has relentlessly pursued an agenda based on misinformation about public health – and demanded investigations to validate those conspiracies: “Covid is over. But it never should have happened. I look forward to investigating and holding accountable every single person that created this awful man made [sic] virus and killed millions of innocent people.” She has declared that “people should go to jail” and that “Republicans must investigate this and bring accountability” in the House.
- Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) is a coronavirus conspiracy theorist. A former White House physician, Jackson previously suggested that the omicron variant was a “hoax” by Democrats and declared that the House GOP’s COVID-19 committee would be dedicated to exposing “lies” concerning vaccines and Dr. Anthony Fauci.
- Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) is an anti-vaxxer who opposed vaccine passports in 2021 and contacted the Centers for Disease Control to investigate her personal vaccine death count conspiracy theories.
- Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) is a former physician who pivoted to vaccine skepticism during his campaign, declaring, “If a 12-year-old or 15-year-old doesn’t want to get the vaccination, and their parents don’t want them to get the vaccination—who really cares?”
- Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX) is also an anti-vaxxer who dismissed COVID-19 vaccines as “experimental,” and has fought to remove legal protections for vaccine manufacturers.