Say No to H.R. 907 Scapegoating China and Chinese people as Response to COVID-19

Our priority in this COVID-19 pandemic must be public health and keeping people safe. This includes making sure medical professionals have the tools they need to protect themselves, their patients, and the public. The federal government has so far failed to take adequate responsibility for this urgent task nationwide.

Unfortunately, instead of focusing on the pandemic, far too many leaders in politics and media have been wasting precious time and energy scapegoating China and Chinese people. Associating a disease with a geographic region is in direct contradiction to public health leaders’ recommendations, and puts Chinese Americans and other Asian Americans at risk of harassment and assault. It also undermines the international cooperation we need to beat COVID-19. Cooperation with China is especially crucial, as China now has a large surplus of medical supplies and equipment, a wealth of hard-won knowledge of how to beat COVID-19, and a willingness to share these resources with the US and others.

Now a group of legislators in the House led by Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) are attempting to take us further down this destructive path through a House Resolution which would officially blame China for the crisis. H.R. 907 increases the threat to Asian Americans and to the US–China relationship. It does nothing to protect Americans’ public health and only makes us less safe.

Instead we should be condemning racism and nationalism and contributing to international cooperation to beat this global pandemic. For example, Grace Meng (D-NY) has filed a resolution that calls all political officials to condemn anti-Asian racism during this pandemic.

I ask that you commit to vote no on H.R. 907 and instead contribute to efforts to build international cooperation with China and other countries to beat this global pandemic. This is the best way for us to save lives in the US, get the country back on its feet, and begin to lead the rest of the world to meet the COVID-19 crisis globally.

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