Sen. Ron Johnson called on the Department of Health and Human Services to explain why dozens of pages of documents about the origins of COVID-19 “remain hidden by HHS’s harsh redactions.”
Mr. Johnson (R-Wis.) had previously requested these files as part of a series of documents on the global pandemic in 2021.
He is following up on the request after a grueling hearing with Health Department Secretary Xavier Becerra last week.
“It is long past time for HHS to meet its legal obligations and produce, without redactions, the approximately 50 pages of priority records that my office identified in 2021. ” Johnson wrote. Friday’s letter to Becerra.
The Wisconsin Republican has requested materials by the week of April 8 and a call or meeting with Becerra by the same time to discuss HHS’ compliance with the 2021 requirements. I’m looking for.
On Thursday, Johnson pressed Becerra on why the department had not turned over outstanding documents during a Senate Finance Committee hearing.
“This is an accommodation process that seeks to accommodate requests as best we can without compromising national security or confidentiality,” Becerra explained at the time.
Mr Johnson was dissatisfied with the response and stressed to the Health Secretary: We pay their salaries. That data should be made available to the American people. ”
The senators are asking HHS to flag certain privileges that appear to prevent redaction removal and to make materials available uncensored if legitimate privileges cannot be identified.
After Johnson’s initial request in 2021, the department produced approximately 4,000 pages worth of material, including some redactions, according to Johnson’s letter.
In September 2021, the senator’s team requested an unredacted review of the 400-page priority record. Now, that request has been reduced to 50 pages.
The Post has reached out to HHS for comment.
Mr. Johnson is the ranking member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. He has spent years scrutinizing the actions of government health agencies around the outbreak.
