This concurrent resolution establishes the Joint Select Committee on the Events and Activities Surrounding China's Handling of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus to investigate and report to Congress and the executive branch, including recommendations on
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 97 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 97
Establishing the Joint Select Committee on the Events and Activities
Surrounding China's Handling of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 17, 2020
Mr. Barr submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on Rules
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Establishing the Joint Select Committee on the Events and Activities
Surrounding China's Handling of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT.
There is hereby established in the Senate and the House of
Representatives a joint select committee to be known as the ``Joint
Select Committee on the Events and Activities Surrounding China's
Handling of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus'' (hereafter referred to as the
``Joint Select Committee'').
SEC. 2. MEMBERSHIP.
(a) Selection and Appointment.--
(1) In general.--The Joint Select Committee shall be
composed of 20 Members of the House of Representatives and
Senate, of whom--
(A) 10 shall be Members of the House of
Representatives, of whom 5 shall be appointed by the
Speaker of the House of Representatives and 5 shall be
appointed by the minority leader of the House of
Representatives; and
(B) 10 shall be Senators, of whom 5 shall be
appointed by the majority leader of the Senate and 5
shall be appointed by the minority leader of the
Senate.
(2) Treatment of delegate and resident commissioner.--For
purposes of this section, a ``Member'' of the House of
Representatives includes a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to
the Congress.
(b) Co-chairs.--Two of the members of the Joint Select Committee
shall serve as co-chairs of the Joint Select Committee, and shall be
appointed as follows:
(1) One shall be a Member of the House of Representatives,
who shall be appointed as co-chair by the Speaker of the House
of Representatives in consultation with the minority leader of
the House of Representatives.
(2) One shall be a Senator, who shall be appointed as co-
chair by the majority leader of the Senate in consultation with
the minority leader of the Senate.
(c) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the membership of the Joint Select
Committee (including a vacancy resulting because a member ceases to be
a Member of the House of Representatives or a Senator) shall not affect
its powers, and shall be filled not later than 14 calendar days after
the date on which the vacancy occurs in the same manner as the original
appointment was made.
(d) Deadlines.--Members of the Joint Select Committee and the co-
chairs of the Joint Select Committee shall be appointed not later than
14 calendar days after the date of the adoption of this concurrent
resolution.
SEC. 3. INVESTIGATION AND REPORT ON THE EVENTS SURROUNDING CHINA'S
HANDLING OF THE 2019 NOVEL CORONAVIRUS.
(a) Investigation and Report.--The Joint Select Committee is
authorized and directed to conduct a full and complete investigation
of, and to issue a final report to the House of Representatives and
Senate regarding, the following:
(1) The origins and causes of the 2019 novel coronavirus.
(2) All policies, decisions, and activities by China
regarding the origins and causes of such coronavirus.
(3) All policies, decisions, and activities by China in
response to the initial outbreak and spread of such
coronavirus.
(4) All policies, decisions, and activities by China to
suppress facts and information regarding the spread, origins,
causes, and transmission of such coronavirus, including efforts
to silence those making early warnings, punish whistleblowers,
and restrict freedom of information about such coronavirus.
(5) All policies, decisions, and activities by China to
spread misinformation regarding the origins and causes of such
coronavirus, including accusations and misinformation that the
coronavirus was brought to the city of Wuhan by the United
States military.
(6) All policies, decisions, and activities by China to
sideline, deny, and suppress charitable service organizations,
institutions of civil society, secular and faith-based non-
governmental organizations, international humanitarian
organizations, and foreign governments offering to provide
information, expertise, resources, and assistance to China and
the Chinese people to combat such coronavirus.
(7) Accountability for policies, decisions and activities
related to influencing the World Health Organization's response
to the outbreak of such coronavirus, including individuals and
entities responsible for those policies, decisions, and
activities.
(8) All policies, decisions, and activities by China to
manufacture, produce, procure, possess, or hoard personal
protective equipment and critical pharmaceutical components to
manipulate or weaponize the supply chain against the
international community, including the United States.
(9) Vulnerabilities in the United States domestic and
global supply chain to combat a global pandemic due to reliance
on Chinese manufacturing and recommendations for decreasing
dependence on Chinese manufacturing by improving and securing a
domestic supply chain for antibiotics, viral drugs, critical
pharmaceutical components, masks, and other personal protective
equipment.
(10) Information related to lessons learned from China's
handling of such coronavirus.
(11) Any other relevant issues relating to China's actions
that led to further spread of such coronavirus, China's
response to such coronavirus, or the investigation by the Joint
Select Committee into China regarding such coronavirus.
(12) Any recommendations to Congress and the executive
branch regarding actions the United States government should
take in response to China's handling of such coronavirus.
(b) Transfer of Records.--At the request of the co-chairs of the
Joint Select Committee, any standing committee of the Senate or House
of Representatives having custody of records in any form relating to
the matters described in subsection (a) shall transfer such records to
the Joint Select Committee.
(c) Interim Reports.--In addition to the final report issued under
subsection (a), the Joint Select Committee may issue such interim
reports as it considers necessary.
(d) Classified Annex.--The Joint Select Committee may include a
classified annex in any report issued under this section.
(e) Definitions.--
(1) China.--In this section, the term ``China'' means the
Government of the People's Republic of China and any of the
following:
(A) An official of the Chinese Communist Party.
(B) An official of the Government of the People's
Republic of China.
(C) An agent or instrumentality of the Government
of the People's Republic of China.
(D) Any other person owned or controlled by or
acting on behalf of any person described in
subparagraphs (A) through (C).
(2) 2019 novel coronavirus.--In this subsection, the term
``2019 novel coronavirus'' means the coronavirus disease
(COVID-19) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
(SARS-CoV-2).
SEC. 4. POWERS.
(a) Hearings and Other Activities.--For the purpose of carrying out
its duties, the Joint Select Committee may hold such hearings and
undertake such other activities as the Joint Select Committee
determines to be necessary to carry out its duties, whether the
Congress is in session, has recessed, or has adjourned.
(b) Authority To Use Subpoenas.--The Joint Select Committee may
require by subpoena the attendance of such witnesses and the production
of such books, papers, and documents, as it considers appropriate.
(c) Access to Legislative Branch Services.--The Joint Select
Committee shall have access to the services of the Government
Accountability Office, the Congressional Budget Office, and the
Congressional Research Service in the same manner and under the same
terms and conditions as any standing committee of the House of
Representatives or Senate.
(d) Adoption of Rules.--Not later than 7 days after all of its
members have been appointed, the Joint Select Committee shall adopt
rules governing its operations, including rules governing the issuance
of subpoenas and rules governing the use of official funds for travel
by members and staff, and shall submit such rules to the Clerk of the
House of Representatives and Secretary of the Senate for publication in
the Congressional Record.
SEC. 5. STAFF; FUNDING.
(a) Staff.--
(1) Use of existing staff.--To the greatest extent
practicable, the Joint Select Committee shall utilize the
services of staff of employing offices of the Senate and House
of Representatives.
(2) Authority to appoint staff.--
(A) In general.--Each of the co-chairs of the Joint
Select Committee may appoint, prescribe the duties and
responsibilities of, and fix the pay of such staff as
the co-chair considers appropriate to assist the Joint
Select Committee in carrying out its duties, so long as
the number of staff appointed by one of the co-chairs
does not exceed the number of staff appointed by the
other co-chair.
(B) Detail of congressional employees.--Upon the
joint request of the co-chairs, the head of an
employing office of the House of Representatives or
Senate (including a joint committee of the Congress) is
authorized to detail, without reimbursement, any of the
staff of the office to the Joint Select Committee to
assist the Joint Select Committee in carrying out its
duties.
(3) Experts and consultants.--Section 202(i) of the
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4301(i)) shall
apply with respect to the Joint Select Committee in the same
manner as such section applies with respect to a standing
committee of the Senate, except that any consultant whose
services are procured by the Joint Select Committee shall be
selected jointly by the co-chairs of the Joint Select
Committee.
(b) Funding.--
(1) Vouchers.--Payments for expenses of the Joint Select
Committee shall be made using vouchers authorized by the Joint
Select Committee, signed by co-chairs of the Joint Select
Committee, and approved in a manner directed by the Committee
on Rules and Administration of the Senate and the Committee on
House Administration of the House of Representatives.
(2) Source of funds.--There are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary for the operation of
the Joint Select Committee, of which--
(A) 50 percent shall be derived from the applicable
accounts of the House of Representatives; and
(B) 50 percent shall be derived from the contingent
fund of the Senate.
SEC. 6. TERMINATION.
(a) Termination Date.--The Joint Select Committee shall terminate
30 days after filing the final report required under section 3.
(b) Transfer of Records.--Upon termination of the Joint Select
Committee, the records of the Joint Select Committee shall be
transferred to--
(1) such committee or committees of the House of
Representatives as may be designated by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives; and
(2) such committee or committees of the Senate as my be
designated by the President pro tempore of the Senate.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Rules.
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