Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) told Breitbart News Daily about her legislation to eliminate taxpayer funding to “filthy” Chinese wet markets, which are reportedly linked to the novel coronavirus.

Ernst awarded her monthly “Squeal Award” to the federal bureaucrats at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), which spent taxpayer dollars shopping for kittens, puppy parts in Chinese slaughterhouses and “wet markets,” where living animals are bought, sold, and butchered for human consumption in unsanitary conditions.

The coronavirus outbreak is reportedly linked to the unsavory outlets.

To prevent taxpayer dollars from going to Chinese wet markets, Sens. Mike Braun (R-IN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Ernst proposed a bipartisan bill that would ban federal agencies from spending money at Chinese unregulated wet markets.

Ernst told Breitbart News Daily host Alex Marlow, “We found that, under previous administrations, the Trump administration put an end to these projects, so it’s not ongoing right now. But under previous administrations, the Agricultural Research Service was using our American taxpayer dollars to purchase kittens, puppies, and other animals and other animal parts at these filthy, inhumane, unhealthy wet markets in China. So these, animal parts, and these kittens, and puppies were used for experimental purposes for the Agricultural Research Services, but they were using our dollars to purchase them in China.”

“And instead of wasting these taxpayer dollars and adding to the profits in Chinese wet markets, we should have been pushing the communist country to shut down these dangerous and disease-prone places. Because there is speculation, many diseases are coming out of these wet markets, so I do I have a bipartisan bill that would shut down the use of American taxpayer dollars at these Chinese wet markets,” she added.

Ernst said that the wet markets “are filthy; they can slaughter animals on site.”

The Iowa senator also called on Congress to end taxpayer funding of China’s Wuhan Institute Virology (WIV) laboratory. The letter to congressional leadership features bipartisan support from across the political spectrum and both chambers of Congress.

Ernst and her colleagues wrote in the letter:

We’re sure you agree that taxpayers’ money should not be sent to a dangerous Chinese state-run bio-agent laboratory that lacks any meaningful oversight from U.S. authorities and is run by adversaries with a history of lab leaks, including SARS, and deception about the causes and extent of deadly disease outbreaks, including COVID-19. Although President Trump has stated that his administration ‘will end that grant quickly,’ we hope to ensure that WIV will not receive federal funds in any future spending packages.

Ernst said that China has a “history of deception” regarding its handling of deadly diseases.

“We hope that this lab will not ever receive federal funds in any future spending packages,” she said.

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