House Lawmakers Unveil Resolution Blaming China For The Virus
WASHINGTON ― A bipartisan pair of House lawmakers on Tuesday unveiled a resolution that blames China for causing a global pandemic and calls on the Chinese government to publicly declare that COVID-19 began there, a move that would almost certainly fuel President Donald Trump’s racist “Chinese virus” rhetoric and the recent uptick in attacks on Asian Americans.
Reps. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) are leading the resolution, which would be nonbinding but reflect a sense of the House. Their measure condemns China for making “multiple, serious mistakes” in its response to the new coronavirus, including the government downplaying the risks of the virus, censoring medical professionals and expelling journalists. It also specifically calls on the Chinese government to “publicly state that there’s no evidence that COVID–19 originated anywhere else but China.”