GOP Senator Wants to Ban 'Potentially Pandemic Pathogen' Research to Avoid Another COVID

U.S. Senator Roger Marshall is voicing his frustrations regarding China's alleged responsibility regarding the COVID-19 outbreak and the United States' ability to hold China responsible for the pandemic.

On Thursday, the Kansas senator released an eight-point strategy regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. In August, Marshall suggested that there was evidence that China allegedly had knowledge of a laboratory leak in Wuhan that occurred several months before the initial COVID-19 cases arrived in the U.S.

"There is substantial evidence that COVID-19 was spreading throughout China in September or October of 2019," Marshal told Kansas Reflector. "China intentionally misled America and the world about what they knew and slowed our response."

Marshall, a physician that specialized in obstetrics and gynecology, stated that the U.S. must utilize both the U.S. National Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in a more suitable way to prevent the spread of potential viruses and health threats.

The Republican senator also suggested that a moratorium be released on research regarding "potentially pandemic pathogens."

In August, an unclassified summary of an assessment regarding COVID-19 was released by the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

The assessment did not identify the origins of the virus that started COVID-19, but the 90-day assessment, ordered by President Joe Biden, did reveal theories regarding the laboratory leak of the virus being caused by natural exposure.

According to Marshall, "China's cooperation most likely would be needed to reach a conclusive assessment of the origins of COVID-19."

"It's outrageous that a comprehensive global investigation on the origins of COVID-19 has still not been carried out," Marshall said. "If China continues to obfuscate and prevent this investigation from happening, we can't take no for an answer."

Aside from his eight-point strategy, Marshall also recommended sanctions and immigration control due to "substantial evidence that COVID-19 was spreading throughout China in September or October of 2019."

"Chinese intentionally misled America and the world about what they knew and slowed our response," Marshall reiterated."Congress ought to consider legislation suspending portions of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to enable American citizens to file lawsuits against the Chinese Communist Party for wrongful death and damages."

Finally, Marshall placed blame in reference to COVID-19 on Dr. Anthony Fauci, who worked under both Trump and Biden administrations throughout the pandemic. Marshall stated that Facui was "dishonest" regarding the National Institutes of Health support for COVID-19 research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

"There are many reasons why we need to get to the bottom of the origins of COVID-19," Marshall said. "As a physician, I think we always need to know the what, where, how and perhaps why whenever any infectious disease outbreak occurs in order to prevent or minimize future infections and to develop future vaccines as well as cures."

Newsweek has reached out to Marshall for further comments.