At least two Republican senators believe America needs reforms so that it’s not reliant on China going forward, as coronavirus continues to cause damage throughout the U.S. and world.
Republican Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Josh Hawley of Missouri both responded to inquiries from the Daily Caller on whether or not they believe there should be a change to the way the U.S. works with China.
“Congress ought to find ways to disentangle critical sectors of our economy, like pharmaceuticals, from China,” Cotton told the Daily Caller. “The Chinese Communist Party threatened to cut off America’s access to vital drugs in the midst of a pandemic caused by its own failures. It’s time to pull America’s supply chains for life-saving medicine out of China and make the CCP pay for contributing to this global emergency.” (RELATED: Josh Hawley Calls For International Investigation Into China Over Alleged Coronavirus Cover-Up)
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) walks to the Senate floor for the start of impeachment trial proceedings at the U.S. Capitol on January 21, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Hawley responded by saying that America is too dependent, which affects the country negatively on a number of critical issues. Hawley also said if items are needed in the U.S. they should be made here, not in China.
“The coronavirus pandemic has made it clear that we are too reliant on China for our critical supply chains. It’s a threat to our health, our national security, and our economy,” Hawley told the Daily Caller. “We need to take bold action to secure our supply chains and bring production back to this country. If we need it, we should make it here.”
Hawley released an outline April 3 for a possible phase 4 coronavirus package, which is titled “Phase 4 Relief Plan: Rehire Workers & Bring Supply Chains Back.” The plan aims to rebuild the economy and get Americans back to work. One proposed measure includes immediate payroll support for the duration of the emergency.