Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) recently wrote a column demanding that the Chinese Communist Party be held accountable for how it dealt with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and CatholicVote political director Josh Mercer agrees.

In the column posted on his website and the Washington Examiner, Rubio wrote that the virus originated in China and has now led to the deaths of more than 5 million people worldwide, including 800,000 U.S. citizens. 

Mercer said Rubio is correct in his assessment and also called out Democrats as well.

“Rubio is right about China, and he’s also right to call Democrats to the mat over COVID-19,” said  Mercer. “You’d think everyone would agree that the consequences of the virus have been devastating and that the American public deserves transparency from the Chinese officials who were directly in charge where it all started. But the Democrats’ response to the COVID Act will be revealing: Do Democrats want to hold China accountable, or are they more interested in punishing American citizens with draconian lockdowns and school closures? Whatever Democrats do, I think Americans will vote accordingly.”

In his article, Rubio alleged that the Chinese Communist Party attempted to cover up the reports of the outbreak for two months and concealed information while also destroying lab evidence. He also said that the Chinese denied the World Health Organization access to the Wuhan lab for an investigation. He also accused Dr. Anthony Fauci of misleading the public about aspects of the origin of the virus, and said he "blatantly lied."

According to Rubio’s website, he and fellow Republicans have introduced the COVID Act in the Senate. This legislation calls for a full investigation into the origin of the coronavirus pandemic, which includes penalties for Chinese officials who refuse to cooperate. He also accused Democrats of stalling when it came to pressuring the Chinese of the origins of the virus.

"This bill would place sanctions on Chinese authorities that continue to hide the truth and cut funding for research collaboration if Beijing does not allow a forensic investigation into the coronavirus’s source," Rubio wrote in his column. 

National Public Radio reported that last summer Chinese officials pushed back against the WHO’s plan to carry out further investigations in Wuhan. Initially the WHO scientists found that the virus leaking from a lab was not likely, but needed to be looked into more before it could be ruled out. The team recommended further investigation into a wet market in the area that sold live animals, as well.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and German health minister Jens Spahn both called on China to be more cooperative with the investigations and more transparent with data. It was reported by NPR that National Health Commission Vice Minister Zen Yin said it was impossible to accept an origin tracing plan and that it was simply a rumor.