In a rare bit of bipartisanship, the Democratically controlled House of Representatives has condemned China for its mishandling of the coronavirus.
A bipartisan resolution has been introduced by Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., that condemns the Chinese government over its handling of the outbreak, painting a stark picture of lies and mismanagement contributing to the pandemic that has infected nearly 390,000 people worldwide and killed more than 16,700.
Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and Banks led the drive to round up co-sponsors for the resolution Monday which so far has seen Reps. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., Austin Scott, R-Ga., Trent Kelly, R-Miss., Brian Babin, R-Texas, Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., Greg Steube, R-Fla., Larry Bucshon, R-Ind., Mike Rogers, R-Ala., Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., and Jason Smith, R-Mo., sign on.
This resolution comes as tensions between the U.S. and China are running high over the Chinese government’s high-powered propaganda campaign seeking to paint itself as the global coronavirus savior while several U.S. officials and politicians, including President Trump, have taken to calling the coronavirus the “Chinese virus” in reference to its origins in Wuhan, a city in China.
The resolution argues that the Chinese government “made multiple, serious mistakes in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak that heightened the severity and spread of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which include the Chinese government’s intentional spread of misinformation to downplay the risks of the virus, a refusal to cooperate with international health authorities, internal censorship of doctors and journalists and malicious disregard for the health of ethnic minorities.”
Specifically, the resolution suggests that doctors in China were aware of a novel coronavirus strain as far back as mid-December, and warned the government about the dangers of same. However, according to the resolution, Chinese authorities muzzled those doctors, including on Jan. 3 forcing one to “sign a letter confessing that he had made ‘false comments’ that ‘severely disturbed the social order.'”
The largely Republican group of representatives also condemns China for its treatment of the Uighur Muslims, a religious minority from which U.S. government officials believe China has rounded up between 800,000 and 2 million people, placing them in “reeducation camps” that function largely as forced labor camps.
Finally, the resolution lays out the Chinese government’s propaganda campaign to paper over its responsibility for the rapid spread of the coronavirus, specifically mentioning its lack of cooperation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a foreign ministry spokesman who “claimed that COVID-19 originated in the United States and that the United States army brought the virus to Wuhan to wage biological warfare” on China; and China’s move to expel journalists with the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and New York Times.
It also mentions a study from the University of Southampton which claims “if China had taken action 3 weeks earlier, the spread of coronavirus would be reduced by 95 percent globally.”
It is unclear when or if the resolution will receive a vote on the House floor.
Isn’t this just wonderful. Maybe they could send a card to Iran and tell them they’re naughty. How about getting to work and passing the relief bill for the American Citizens. This Congress gives new importance to the passing of TERM LIMITS.
This needs to be posted for the world to see!
Overdue. Politically correct? Ask my bigotted politically correct acquointances. Everybody has a different version of it. Confusion rules the place
China should not be blamed anymore than the US government and specifically President Trump’s refusal to except help from the World health organization, WHO, That offered the United States help and the dispersion of testing for the virus Approximately 45 days ago. Countries like Korea excepted this helps and screen their population with drive-through testing that have results within two or three minutes. A lot less expensive than what Katie Porter advocates!
Cut all ties with China!!!!!!!!!
Interesting clowns in recess doing something other than trying to impeach or pass pork to line their pockets???.
Better than nothing.
It’s good when Americans come together to fight an enemy of our country. Only, now I have to clean and press my own shirts!!
Awaiting moderation? Sorry for not being PC. Didn’t know you were from Wuhan. Also, didn’t know you have no sense of humor!!
All of this he said she said bull……pucky isnt going to make that stupid ass virus go away any faster. So whats the point? Theres people who will say, and I do tend to believe this, that the Chinese governing body hid this from the world for weeks. Hell Im even favoring they might have made it and released it on their own people to get rid of some of the lower class and knowing it would get to us. It would do well to see if theyre buying up stocks from here because nobody working has got to have an effect on the stock market. But why point this out now? China has had a over a month of a head start on us to find a cure. Theyre touting that they might have one. Cant we wait a little to get it before we go pointing fingers. Im not saying thet dont deserve the pointing but wouldnt it be better for us to wait and why cant our politocians figure this out?
Which part of the House condemns the Chinese government?? No part!!
Make the Chinese government pay fir everything they have done for the American people….NOW!!!
notice there ain’t a lot of dems putting their name to it maybe there is some truth to the conspiracy that they were happy for it to happen to try and bring down trump