Republicans slam Biden's 'vague threats' to China over COVID stonewall

House Republicans are not satisfied with the Biden administration’s stance against the Chinese government when it comes to making sure there is a thorough investigation of the coronavirus pandemic.

"We are well past the time for vague threats and cheap talk," Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., said in a statement. Wittman went on to say that if the administration "is serious about getting to the truth" about what role China played in COVID-19’s origin, "they must establish tangible consequences should China fail to allow a free and fair investigation into the Wuhan Institute of Virology." Last week, Wittman and Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., introduced the World Deserves to Know Act, which would impose sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act against members of the Communist Party who are believed to have been involved in limiting free speech, as well as the disappearance of whistleblowers and journalists in connection with the pandemic. Additional sanctions including blocking transactions involving properties in the U.S., ineligibility for visas, and revocation of existing visas would be imposed on Gao Fu, director of China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Ma Xiaowei, minister of China’s National Health Commission.