Five Republican senators asked President Joe Biden on Friday to place a travel ban between the United States and China following a wave of mysterious respiratory illnesses that have spread quickly across the country and raised concerns globally about transparency.
“As you know, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has a long history of lying about public health crises,” the letter signed by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), J.D. Vance (R-OH), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and Mike Braun (R-IN) reads. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, the CCP’s obfuscation of the truth, and lack of transparency, robbed the United States of vital knowledge about the disease and its origin.”
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The letter pointed out that Biden had criticized former President Donald Trump’s decision to ban travel to and from China during the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, Biden said Trump’s actions were rooted in “xenophobia,” but the senators said, “History and common sense show his decision was the right one.”
“At this moment, the world faces another unknown pathogen emanating from the PRC (People’s Republic of China) that could spread to other countries, including the United States,” they continued. “The PRC has reported an increase in this mystery illness — which it claims to be pneumonia caused by known pathogens — since mid-October.”
While it’s true that a sharp increase in respiratory illnesses has been detected in China and that it is overwhelming doctors and hospitals in the northern part of the country, as well as in Beijing, medical experts and the World Health Organization said the spike was expected. The WHO attributed it to “immunity debt,” a concept that claims efforts — such as lockdowns, masking, and social distancing — to avoid infectious diseases over an extended period make entire populations more susceptible to illness when those precautions are lifted.
China has claimed that known, not novel, pathogens have been driving the increase. The WHO asked China for information and said China complied within 24 hours, but the WHO has also been the subject of controversy and mistrust when it comes to China.
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“The CCP has an incentive to lie, just as they did throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and any new pathogen could derail its efforts to stimulate the economy,” the senators argued. “We must take the necessary steps to protect the health of Americans and our economy. That means we should immediately restrict travel between the United States and the PRC until we know more about the dangers posed by this new illness.”
There has been no word from the White House in response.
