If passed, this bill would significantly affect federal financial relations with China, establishing a new precedent that links foreign aid to the reimbursement of pandemic-related costs. It would effectively freeze any federal programs involving China until the reimbursement is confirmed by the Secretary of the Treasury. This measure is likely aimed at holding China accountable for what proponents of the bill view as their failure to manage the outbreak responsibly.
Summary
House Bill 566, titled the 'China Lied People Died Act', was introduced in January 2023. The primary purpose of the bill is to prohibit any federal funds from being allocated for programs or activities in the People's Republic of China until the Chinese government has reimbursed the United States for the total cost of COVID-19 relief, which is set at $4.6 trillion. This legislation underscores the ongoing tensions between the United States and China, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Contention
The bill reflects a broader sentiment among some lawmakers who feel that China should bear more responsibility for the global repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. While proponents argue that it is a justified call for accountability, critics may highlight concerns about unintended consequences, such as the potential deterioration of economic and diplomatic relations with China. Furthermore, there may be discussions around the feasibility and implications of demanding reimbursement for pandemic relief efforts.
World Deserves To Know Act This bill requires sanctions on certain members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and officials of Chinese health agencies. It also addresses related issues. The President must impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on any foreign person who is a CCP official and who is knowingly responsible for or complicit in (1) the disappearances of whistleblowers and citizen journalists in China relating to COVID-19, or (2) limiting free speech and academic freedom in China relating to COVID-19. The President must also impose such sanctions on specified individuals who have leadership positions in China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention and China's National Health Commission (NHC). The authority to impose such sanctions shall end when the President certifies to Congress that an independent and unimpeded investigation into the potential origin of COVID-19 from the Wuhan Institute of Virology has taken place. The bill also bars federal funds and certain federal student assistance from going to institutions of higher education that enter into a contract with any element or China-based affiliate of the NHC. Federal funding to the National Academy of Sciences may not be used to enter into a contract with any element or China-based affiliate of the NHC. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress a review of all funds that the National Institutes of Health have made available to the NHC since FY2010. This report must also be publicly available.