Authored by Steve Watson via Summit News,

GOP Senator Tom Cotton touted legislation Wednesday that would end US dependency on China for pharmaceuticals, stating that it poses a national security risk, as he asserted that China ‘unleashed’ the coronavirus on the rest of the planet and needs to pay for it.

“Things like antibiotics and ibuprofen and Advil are made in China for the most part. It’s time to bring that manufacturing capacity back to the United States, time to bring a lot more back to the United States from China.” Cotton said during a Fox News interview.

“China unleashed this plague on the world, and there will be a reckoning when we’re on the back side of it.” he urged.

Along with Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Cotton has introduced the “Protecting Our Pharmaceutical Supply Chain From China Act,” which promises to “cut off purchases of drugs with Chinese ingredients no later than 2025.”

Cotton has warned that the “low quality” of such drugs produced in the communist state is a danger to all Americans.

The bill would also “require drug companies to label the origins of ingredients in their drugs, so U.S. consumers are better informed of where their medicine comes from and whether it’s likely to be safe.”

The legislation will also encourage the medical industry to “manufacture in our country again by offering full and immediate expensing of factories, warehouses and capital goods related to the manufacture of drugs and medical devices on American soil.”

Cotton writes that “Emergencies like pandemics and wars break down previously dependable supply chains and relationships as nations start to fend for themselves. It’s sadly clear America gave up the ability to fend for ourselves in basic medicine long ago.”

The Senator has been vocal in blaming China for the outbreak of the coronavirus, previously demanding that the communist state prove that the virus did not originate in its own secretive bioweapons lab in Wuhan:

.@ambcuitianki, here’s what’s not a conspiracy, not a theory:



Fact: China lied about virus starting in Wuhan food market https://t.co/Jgpy1Oh75Y — Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) February 9, 2020

Cotton highlighted how China continuously lied about the severity of the outbreak:

"I'm afraid that the #coronavirus could actually be the single biggest threat to both global and U.S. growth this year," says @SenTomCotton. "What really spreads fear is China lying about the origins of this disease and about the number of people who have it." pic.twitter.com/aI0pfGz2p7 — Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) February 11, 2020

Back in January, Cotton called for flights from China into the US to be stopped, warning that Beijing was lying about the full extent of the outbreak.

Russia has closed its ENTIRE 2,600-mile border with China. Time to shut down travel between China and US. https://t.co/L8W5SfflkC — Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 30, 2020

Israel shuts down commercial flights with China. Time to shut down flights between US and China. https://t.co/xPFwZ3hms6 — Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 30, 2020

Good morning. There was a 28% increase in coronavirus cases overnight in China. Make no mistake, though: these aren’t “new” cases. Just what China is willing to admit. It’s much worse. — Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 30, 2020

Meanwhile, China again claimed Tuesday that the outbreak did not start in Wuhan, and that the US is engaging in “bald-faced racism and xenophobia” by claiming it did.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang even bragged that the World Health Organisation and the UN agrees with the communist state, and demanded that the US government stop saying the virus originated in China.

Last week, Chinese state media again claimed that the virus could have originated at Fort Detrick, Maryland, and may have been intentionally released by the US military in China to kill people.

The claim is patently false, with numerous virologists asserting that the origin of the virus is clearly traceable to Wuhan. Scientists have said that they are even able to pinpoint the timeframe of when the virus jumped to humans to within a few days. they believe it emerged in late October or early November.