Democrat Himes Backs Republican Push to Declassify Intelligence on Origins of COVID

Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) arrives for a closed door briefing with Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson before the House Intelligence Committee in Washington on Oct. 4, 2019. Pete Marovich/Getty Images

During testimony on March 7, the top Democrat in the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence said that he would support a GOP-led measure that would require the Biden administration to declassify details about possible connections between the coronavirus pandemic and China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology.

In the House Rules Committee hearing, Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) said of the COVID-19 Origin Act, “I plan to support this legislation, both in committee, where we will mark up a companion bill this evening and the full House later this week.”