Buchanan cosponsors Stop COVID Act to hold China accountable for pandemic’s spread

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) recently signed on as a cosponsor of GOP-led legislation that would permit U.S. citizens to sue China over the coronavirus and last week introduced his chamber’s version of a bipartisan bill to bolster U.S. drug manufacturing.

“China’s lies about the origin, spread and lethality of the virus led to a global pandemic that has killed more than 80,000 Americans,” Rep. Buchanan said. “China must be held accountable both legally and financially.”

Rep. Buchanan on May 8 cosponsored the Stop China-Originated, Viral Infectious Diseases (COVID) Act of 2020, H.R. 6444, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) and would amend the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to establish an exception to jurisdictional immunity for a foreign state that discharges a biological weapon, according to the text of the bill. The same-named S. 3592 was introduced on May 4 by U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Martha McSally (R-AZ), and Steve Daines (R-MT).

“We need to stop acting as if China is our friend or a benign nation,” Rep. Buchanan said. “They cannot be trusted.”

Rep. Buchanan’s cosponsorship of H.R. 6444 followed his introduction on May 5 of the Securing America’s Medicine Cabinet Act of 2020, H.R. 6708, which would rebuild U.S. drug manufacturing following threats by China to cut off life-saving medications to Americans, according to information provided by his office.

The same-named S. 3432 was introduced in March by Sen. Blackburn to support the advanced manufacturing technologies program of the Food and Drug Administration and to establish National Centers of Excellence in Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing.