Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw reintroduced a bill Tuesday that would allow Americans to sue China in federal court over the detrimental tragedies caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Holding the Chinese Communist Party Accountable Act, originally introduced in April of 2020, would allow Americans to recover damages for death, injury and economic harm. Indeed, it would amend the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to create a narrow exception for damages caused by China’s handling of the pandemic.
“We have known for more than a year now that the Chinese Communist Party was covering up the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Crenshaw said. “The communist regime expelled journalists, silenced whistleblowers, and withheld vital information that delayed the global response to the pandemic. We need to hold the Chinese government accountable for their malicious lies and coverup that allowed the coronavirus to spread across the world. Their actions cost American lives and livelihoods, which is why I’m reintroducing this bill to ensure China’s actions are not without consequence.”
Ultimately, the bill seeks to make China pay, both literally and figuratively, for the havoc wreaked on the United States and the world.
If an agreement between China and the United States is reached to settle the claims, private suits could be dismissed.