Five Senators Ask Biden to Impose Travel Ban with China Amid Surge in Respiratory Illness Cases
Republican senators let by Florida’s Marco Rubio claim it could save the U.S. from ‘death, lockdowns and mandates’ down the line.
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and four other GOP senators have asked the Biden administration for a travel ban between the United States and China after a spike in Chinese respiratory illness cases.
“We should immediately restrict travel between the United States and (China) until we know more about the dangers posed by this new illness,” said the letter signed by Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, along with Senators J.D. Vance, Rick Scott, Tommy Tuberville and Mike Braun.
The rise in cases became a global issue last week when the World Health Organization asked China for more information, citing a report on clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children by the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases.
A Biden administration official said the United States was closely monitoring the uptick in respiratory illnesses in China, but added, “We are seeing seasonal trends. Nothing is appearing out of the ordinary. … At this time, there is no indication that there is a link between the people who are seeking care in U.S. emergency departments and the outbreak of respiratory illness in China.”
The other senators are JD Vance (R-OH), Rick Scott (R-FL); Tommy Tubervill (R-AL); and Mike Braun (R-IN).
The Republican senators cite China’s secrecy and obfuscation of information during the covid pandemic as the reason they are making this request.
The letter said China had an ‘incentive to lie’ about the severity of its outbreak to protect ‘its economy’.
‘As you know, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has a long history of lying about public health crises,’ the letter reads.
‘During the COVID-19 pandemic, the CCP’s obfuscation of the truth, and lack of transparency, robbed the United States of vital knowledge about the disease and its origin.
‘On January 31, 2020, President Trump issued an order to restrict travel from the PRC [People’s Republic of China] into the United States to protect the American people and counter the spread of COVID-19.
‘Many officials and commentators—including you—criticized his decision as being influenced by ‘xenophobia.’ But history and common sense show his decision was the right one.
Some Democrats are also unhappy with China’s response related to the reports of the surge in pediatric pneumonia cases that is reported to be overwhelming hospitals.
Though no prominent Democrats have echoed the call for a travel ban, some have expressed concern. Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin told POLITICO he was frustrated with China’s transparency and the information it was sharing. “We don’t know how reliable it is,” he said.
And U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel urged China to be more forthcoming in a post to X last week: “It’s time to abandon COVID deception and delays as transparent and timely information saves lives,” he wrote.
How much of an effect would a travel ban have? If covid is any experience, containing a respiratory virus through one is an effort in futility given the global travel network; if it is infectious enough, it will spread.
Furthermore, it appears that the spate of pediatric illness is related to the lifting of very stringent covid restrictions China imposed. In other words, another unintended consequence and covid policy failure.
Maria Van Kerkhove, acting director of the WHO’s department of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said earlier this week the increase appeared to be driven by a rise in the number of children contracting pathogens that they had avoided during two years of COVID-19 restrictions.
In recent months, the United States and China have been steadily increasing flights between the countries, though they remain far below 2019 levels. The number approved rose on Nov. 9 to 35 per week for each country, up from 12 per week in August.
I suspect China is none too worried about travel bans or strongly worded letters at this point.
As I have said before, the best approach for everyone right now is to reduce your risk factors when it comes to exposure to airborne pathogens of any kind:
- Wash hands as frequently as makes sense.
- Clean and disinfect regularly touched objects.
- Stop smoking.
- Take vitamins, drink plenty of water, and start a sensible exercise regimen.
- Consider your home and office environment: Are there ways to improve the air quality that are easy to implement that makes it easier for you to breathe (e.g., air filter, humidifiers).
- If you suffer from a respiratory ailment (e.g., asthma), confer with your doctor for additional guidance.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
As an American of Chinese ancestry, I say yes to the travel ban. However noting the terms of the request: it could save the U.S. from ‘death, lockdowns and mandates’ down the line.; that is the exact reason that they will refuse to have a travel ban. Those in power like ‘death, lockdowns, and mandate’.
Subotai Bahadur
The passage that you quoted struck me differently. It’s not a ban that will save us from lockdowns, it’s the political courage to stand up to totalitarian democrats.
Odds are that China obtained the pathogens from one of Fauxch’s investments, co-ops, friends or even admirers.
But, but. when TRUMP did it- it was racist!
Did something change to make it not racist?
yes! Party affiliation!
All five Senators pushing this idea are GoP.
I oppose a travel ban because it is useless and plays right into the hands of the fear mongers. The last thing we need is another panic over NOTHING! Interesting timing too. Exactly four years after the last one with another election coming up. We still haven’t had a proper reckoning for what was done to us by our government last time and now they’re trying to do it again. And these Republicans are playing right into it by lending credence and legitimacy to their attempts to stir up a panic.
They clearly make the case for the temp travel ban, this time earlier in the cycle, as an alternative to lock downs and mandates. Ignoring this alternative sets it up as sufficient grounds by itself to vigorously oppose a repetition of Rona Mania.
We know how the Democrats Propaganda Ministry handled it when President Trump tried to stop Chinese movements into the country.
No credible source outside of mainland China have identified the illness? Taiwanese news outlets should already know if this latest is simply the seasonal flu or not. Chinese children aren’t toppling over dead in droves, just ill.
Chinese parents are freaking out because they don’t trust their leaders any more than we trust our leaders. Who can blame them for being terribly worried.
Rubio and his pals are grandstanding. And trust Politico? It’s a hardcore mis/dis information WEF controlled media outlet. Zero credibility.
Bring burned with Wuhan Coronavirus 19, which sure looks like it was intentionally spread worldwide, is a good reason to protect our interests by banning travel.
By the time you know about the new illness, it is already too late. It is already here.
Look how fast the GOP just accepts the fucking possibility of lockdowns and mandates.
Or maybe its a question of accepting the reality that the Biden admin is likely to push for those lock downs and mandates while using this temp travel restriction as the preferred course of action.
Maybe I’m wrong, heck I was wrong about the Trump admin jumping headfirst into lock down; ‘two weeks to flatten the curve’ damn well went past 14 days.
When someone in China sneezes; our economy goes into the ICU.
And then our elections are locked down and ballot boxes get stuffed.
@MikeBenzCyber
·
this is craaazy this was the opposition witness against
@shellenberger & @mtaibbi this week.
Quote:
Emerald Robinson ✝️
@EmeraldRobinson
Jun 2, 2021
The person most responsible for unleashing the Fauci fraud on America is @OliviaTroye who was VP Pence’s “COVID advisor.”
In a recent article, Troye explains how her job was to misinform the Trump Admin at every turn ….
Note how there was absolutely zero opprobrium or criticism proffered by the water-carrying, dutifully compliant, lapdog/trained seal “mainstream” Dhimmi-crat media propagandists, regarding the utterly indefensible, offensive and contemptible red carpet reception in San Francisco granted to Chinese dictator, Xi Jinping, by dotard-marionette, Biden, and, greasy Newsolini.
As if the Wuhan virus had never occurred and hadn’t killed hundreds of thousands of Americans, and, hadn’t caused trillions in economic devastation (exacerbated by the vile Dhimmi-crats’ totalitarian and idiotic “lockdown” edicts). As if China isn’t a transparently malevolent regime, exhibiting belligerent and malignant behavior towards the U.S. and our allies, at every turn. Instead, the Dhimmi-crats act as if China didn’t unleash a plague upon the world, and, as if it isn’t a manifest obstacle to global peace and stability.
During the pandemic someone recommended taking a combination of vitamins, to boost your immune system. I have no medical background, and I understand that my experience is just anecdotal, but, after several years I have not had a cold, or cough… *knock on wood* After all the bs, the damage, the deaths.. (one in our family) I found a silver lining. I just hope and pray that next time we are smarter. SMH
Another gift from Chy-na ! There are 10,000’s of Chy-na illegals coming across our borders as well as from multiple nations that want Americans dead and they come here with diseases that where once eradicated in the USA. Maybe start securing our borders and start deporting would be a start in the right direction.
And so it begins again.
If there is a new illness from China, it is either already in the USA, or it is not. If it is already here (highly likely), travel bans will do no good whatsoever. This all seems like senatorial grandstanding to me.