The novel coronavirus has killed 100,000 victims globally and has infected over 2 million people, but the origin of the virus is still unclear. The United States must demand an explanation.
Unverified theories attributing the outbreak to wildlife “wet markets” and odd Eastern medicine will no longer cut it. The people deserve answers, which is why we penned the bicameral Stop China-Originated Viral Infectious Diseases Act, or the Stop COVID Act. When passed, it will hold China accountable for unleashing COVID-19 on our country. The bill would open up a set of legal tools that will enable the public to sue and seek compensation if they have suffered harm resulting from China’s role in spreading this virus.
Right now, the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act is a shield for the Chinese Communist Party to hide behind. This legislation takes away that protection and eliminates sovereign immunity for states that spread biological agents. If China was indeed responsible for the release of this deadly virus, its officials will no longer enjoy immunity from litigation in U.S. courts.
This move is not without precedent. In 2016, Congress passed the 9/11-driven Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act to give more legal remedies to the victims and families of terrorist attacks. To date, U.S. deaths due to COVID-19 now outnumber the deaths caused by the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
The Chinese Communist Party has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to lie to the world about this deadly and costly outbreak. At the outset, the party lied about how the disease spread and enlisted the World Health Organization to support its false narrative. Even as its own citizens engaged in international travel, Beijing lied about the number of cases in its country and left the rest of the world powerless to contain the spread of COVID-19.
We cannot rely on the Chinese government to be honest, which means we cannot afford to accept the narrative the CCP wants us to believe. The media has supported the CCP’s arguments so long as they have differed from those made by President Trump. The only path forward is to enable an independent investigation of the facts.
How we choose to treat the Chinese government in the wake of this crisis will define foreign relations in the post-coronavirus era. If we grow to understand how the COVID-19 crisis escalated from a regional outbreak into a global tragedy, we may be able to prevent the disastrous consequences of future pandemics. By unleashing the investigatory power of our legal system, we can discover the truth, prepare for the future, and ensure the people get the answers they deserve.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn is Tennessee’s junior U.S. senator. Lance Gooden represents Texas’s 5th Congressional District. Both are Republicans.
