WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after recent reports reaffirmed the theory that the novel coronavirus may have originated in a lab in Wuhan, China.

Blackburn Vindicated After Leading the Charge in April 2020 to Investigate Potential Wuhan Lab Origins:

“It is more important than ever before to ensure an independent and unbiased investigation – one that is not conducted by the Beijing-controlled World Health Organization,” said Senator Blackburn. “In April 2020, I called for an independent investigation into the origins of the pandemic and brought attention to the fact that the virus may have originated in a Wuhan lab. It is no surprise that the leftist media roundly attacked me for speaking out against the Chinese Communist Party. Over a year later, these reports show that my calls for an investigation were backed by evidence, and I'm still waiting on the media to issue corrections.”

Blackburn Demands Answers From Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey After They Censored Chinese Virologist Dr. Le-Meng Yan

“Big Tech overlords Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey owe Chinese virologist Dr. Le-Meng Yan a personal apology after Facebook censored her content and Twitter deleted her account when she spoke out with evidence on the origins of COVID,” said Senator Blackburn. “The more we learn, the clearer it is that Communist China played a role in killing millions of people. This is why Big Tech must never be the arbiter of truth.”

Blackburn’s Recommendations to Punish China for Role in Spreading the COVID-19

"If COVID-19 came from a lab in China, Beijing needs to be held accountable by both the United Statesand the international community," said Senator Blackburn.

Senator Blackburn has proposed the following recommendations to punish Beijing for their role in this deadly pandemic:

• Congress should pass legislation that will eliminate sovereign immunity for states that spread viruses such as COVID-19, which are considered biological agents. This legislation would give Americans the legal tools to sue China in the U.S. federal court system and could include measures from the Stop China-Originated Viral Infectious Diseases (COVID) Act (S.3592), 164 the Holding the Chinese Communist Party Accountable for Infecting Americans Act (S.3662),165 and the Justice for Victims of Coronavirus Act (S.3588).166

• The U.S. should restore a stronger U.S. CDC presence in China, to include an embedded U.S. presence in the Chinese CDC, and demand unimpeded international access to identify the origins of COVID-19.

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should conduct mandatory, unannounced, and frequent risk-based inspections of Chinese manufacturing facilities to ensure transparency in inspection outcomes as long as components of vaccines and drugs utilized in the United States are manufactured in China.

• The U.S. should collaborate with allies and partners to create a global system of surveillance, detection testing, pharmacological response, and inspection policies. This system should allow for seamless information-sharing between participating nations and international standards of excellence.