Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced a resolution calling for an international investigation into communist China’s cover-up of the coronavirus in Wuhan during the early days of outbreak.

In a statement, Hawley said that China must “pay back all nations impacted because China lied about the spread of the virus.”

“Since day one, the Chinese Communist Party intentionally lied to the world about the origin of this pandemic,” Hawley said. “The CCP was aware of the reality of the virus as early as December but ordered laboratories to destroy samples and forced doctors to keep silent. It is time for an international investigation into the role their cover-up played in the spread of this devastating pandemic. The CCP must be held to account for what the world is now suffering.”

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is introducing companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

“The Communist government of China knowingly withheld critical information needed to combat the spread of the Chinese-born COVID-19 and to this day continues to spread lies and disinformation on the origin of the deadly virus,” Stefanik said in a statement. “There is no doubt that China’s unconscionable decision to orchestrate an elaborate coverup of the wide-ranging and deadly implications of coronavirus led to the death of thousands of people, including hundreds of Americans and climbing. This Resolution calls for China to provide compensation for the harm, loss, and destruction their arrogance brought upon the rest of the world. Simply put – China must, and will, be held accountable.”

The Wall Street Journal earlier this month highlighted some of the cover-up that China engaged in back in December when Wei Guixian, a seafood merchant in a Wuhan market, became one of the first people to become sick on December 10.

The Journal reported:

For almost three weeks, doctors struggled to connect the dots between Ms. Wei and other early cases, many of them Hua’nan vendors. Patient after patient reported similar symptoms, but many, like her, visited small, poorly resourced clinics and hospitals. … When doctors did finally establish the Hua’nan link in late December, they quarantined Ms. Wei and others like her and raised the alarm to their superiors. But they were prevented by Chinese authorities from alerting their peers, let alone the public. One of the first doctors to alert Chinese authorities was criticized for “spreading rumors” after sharing with a former medical-school classmate a test result showing a patient had a coronavirus. Another doctor had to write a self-criticism letter saying his warnings “had a negative impact.” Even after Chinese President Xi Jinping personally ordered officials to control the outbreak on Jan. 7, authorities kept denying it could spread between humans—something doctors had known was happening since late December—and went ahead with a Chinese Lunar New Year banquet involving tens of thousands of families in Wuhan.

China also refused help from the World Health Organization for months and never let the CDC into the country to help contain the outbreak and to help research the virus.

A documentary by Vox highlighted how China’s communist government is also responsible for the wet markets in the country where the virus is believed to have originated from.

This report has been updated to include additional information.