There have been efforts to sue and admonish China for its role in the coronavirus spread worldwide. American leaders say China hid the growing virus threat, which began in Wuhan Province in late 2019.

The congresswoman from the St. Louis region, Ann Wagner, says she is taking an approach that is more realistic — in a bill that she filed last week to take away Chinese-owned assets in America.

Wagner is the vice ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Her legal staff has been working for months with experts and international lawyers to develop the bill.

“I think it’s a little more realistic in terms of actually getting justice and compensation for Americans because what the Chinese did to mislead and lie to the international community and the harm that is has caused both from a health and an economic standpoint is beyond egregious,” she told Missourinet.

“These reckless acts directly contributed to the deadly pandemic that has killed nearly 100,000 Americans and unleashed an economic tragedy that has impacted communities in every corner of the United States. It is not enough to just publicly rebuke the Chinese Communist Party, they must pay for the loss of life and economic injury they caused.”

The proposed Compensation for Americans Act directs the president to employ a series of measures including creating a public repository of Chinese assets and holdings in the United States, imposing travel restrictions on government officials and medical equipment suppliers, and removing China from its status in the United Nations and World Bank.  Read the summary.

The legislation instructs President Trump to seek a bilateral agreement on with China on compensation to America.