Press Releases

WASHINGTON – The Chinese Communist Party is mulling adding more than a few U.S. lawmakers to their sanctions list, according to a story published by the Chinese government’s propaganda outlet, the Global Times. Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) is named alongside Sens. Blackburn (R-TN) Cotton (R-AR), Hawley (R-MO), McSalley (R-AZ) and Scott (R-FL), and fellow House lawmakers Rep. Crenshaw (R-TX) and Rep. Gooden (R-TX) as some of the lawmakers China is most concerned about in Congress.

Quotes attributed to “sources” in the Global Times article state: “Those Republicans who have been harshly criticizing China and inflaming this ‘holding China accountable’ political farce will face severe consequences.”

“The Chinese government is lashing out at those in the U.S. who are appropriately trying to hold them accountable for intentionally misleading us about the nature of the novel coronavirus, where it was spreading and how quickly things were getting out of control. I consider their threats a badge of honor,” said Rep. Banks.

Rep. Banks introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives that makes clear that the Chinese government is ultimately responsible for our current pandemic. That resolution has 54 co-sponsors.

Rep. Banks was the first lawmaker to suggest China should pay reparations for the damage being done to individual lives and the U.S. economy. He posited China cancelling the $1 trillion in U.S. debt they hold, adding additional tariffs to Chinese imports and bringing a case against China in the International Court of Justice.