A Republican lawmaker announced on Thursday that she would be sponsoring a bill to allow Americans hurt by the coronavirus pandemic to sue China for its lies and cover-up leading to the spread of the pandemic.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) tweeted that she and Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) are introducing the bill.

"[Sen. McSally] & I are introducing the Stop COVID Act to make China liable for unleashing COVID-19 on our country," she tweeted.

"Americans victimized by Chinese Communist Party lies & deceit deserve the opportunity to take China to court in the U.S. & demand compensation," she explained.



Many have criticized the communist government of China for not warning the world quickly enough about the extent of the coronavirus threat that originated in Wuhan.

"The Chinese government must be held accountable for the pain [it's] inflicted across the U.S.," said McSally in a tweet. "Our legislation will allow Americans to file lawsuits against Beijing for its role in perpetuating the coronavirus."

Blackburn also derided the World Health Organization for pushing Chinese "propaganda" about the pandemic and for criticizing President Donald Trump for his response.

While many believe the "wet markets" in Wuhan were the source of the virus, some reports suggest that it sprang from a virology laboratory instead.

Other lawmakers have been clamoring for China to face some retributive punishment over its role in covering up the pandemic, while critics of the president have accused him of using these issues as way to deflect from his culpability.

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