Republican attorneys general from 18 states are pressing Congress to investigate the Chinese government’s role in the coronavirus outbreak, telling legislators that the pandemic has “wreaked havoc” on their states.
The attorneys general, led by South Carolina attorney general Alan Wilson, signed a letter demanding congressional hearings about “the origins of COVID-19 and efforts by the communist Chinese government to deceive the international community.” The letter was addressed to Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate, including Rep. Michael McCaul (R., Tex.), the head of the new Republican-led China Task Force.
“Reports suggest that the communist Chinese government willfully and knowingly concealed information about the severity of the virus while simultaneously stockpiling personal protective equipment,” the attorneys general wrote. “The Chinese government, aided by the World Health Organization, appears to have intentionally misled the world over the last 6 months.”
The letter will further embolden China hawks in Congress, most of them Republicans, to hold China accountable for its handling of the pandemic. Republican leadership has already responded to those calls with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) unveiling on Thursday the China Task Force, an all-encompassing body that covers 14 different committee jurisdictions to consider “a wide range of China-related issues” from influence operations targeting the United States to the origins of the coronavirus outbreak. – READ MORE
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