- The leaders of theNational Institutes of Health

remained united in theirtestimony, Wednesday,

that they strongly believeCOVID-19 originated naturally.

- I think the mostlikely reason, mechanism,

by which SARS-CoV-2 arosewas a natural process

of transfer from an animal to humans.

- [Abigail] But Doctor FrancisCollins, head of the NIH,

did concede he wants everypossibility explored.

- We can not exclude the possibility

of some kind of a lab accident.

- [Abigail] With recent reportsthree Wuhan lab employees

were hospitalized in November of 2019

with COVID-like symptoms.

Republican senator, Marco Rubio,

questioned Doctor AnthonyFauci's quick dismissal

of the lab leak theory.

- I didn't dismiss anything,

I just said it's a high likelihood

that is a natural occurrence.

- [Abigail] Lawmakers pressed Fauci.

If it's natural, where is the host?

- Have we found anyanimals that carry COVID-19

that could have been thesource of the transmission

to humans thus far?

- Thus far not.

- [Abigail] Republican senator, Rand Paul,

told CBN News, doctors like Anthony Fauci

might have a motive fordownplaying the lab theory.

- I think that he's not being honest

with the American public.

- [Abigail] Raising concernsabout the NIH's involvement

with the Wuhan Virology Institute.

- NIH and Doctor Fauci havebeen funding Wuhan research.

They do it through anintermediary called Eco Health.

Interestingly, when theyinvestigated whether this virus

came out of a lab or occurred naturally,

they hired the head of Eco Health

to be in charge of the investigation.

- [Abigail] While DoctorFauci acknowledged the funds,

he categorically denies that any US money

went towards super virus studies in China.

- You didn't give money to the Wuhan lab

to do gain of function research?

- [Doctor Fauci] That is correct.

- [Abigail] And he stoodby the grant to the lab.

- The SARS-CoV-1, clearly thebats that have the viruses

that are the coronaviruses are in China.

As I said a couple of times,

it's not in Fairfax County, Virginia,

or is it in New York, it's in China.

- Even if Fauci's telling the truth,

on Tuesday, the senate passedSenator Paul's amendment,

banning any future US funds going

towards gain of function research in China

to ensure it's never possible again.

Reporting from Virginia,Abigail Robertson, CBN News.