On Friday, U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) signed a letter demanding President Joe Biden ban travel from China until more is learned about a mysterious respiratory disease infecting the country.
Since October, China has seen a significant and unexplained rise in respiratory illnesses and pneumonia. However, Chinese health officials told the World Health Organization (WHO) they had not detected any "unusual or novel diseases," Fox News reported.
"[W]e should not wait for the WHO to take action given its track record of slavish deference to the [Chinese Communist Party]," the letter read. "We must take the necessary steps to protect the health of Americans and our economy. That means we should immediately restrict travel between the United States and the [People's Republic of China] until we know more about the dangers posed by this new illness."
The letter pointed to the success of former President Donald Trump's travel bans at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
"Many officials and commentators—including you—criticized his decision as being influenced by 'xenophobia,'" the letter stated. "But history and common sense show his decision was the right one… A ban on travel now could save our country from death, lockdowns, mandates, and further outbreaks later."
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.) also signed the letter.
To connect with the story's author or comment, email daniel.taylor@1819news.com.
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