GOP senators introduce bill to thwart Chinese COVID-19 research hackers

A group of Republican senators introduced legislation requires national security evaluation and clearance for all Chinese student visa holders taking part in activities related to COVID-19 vaccine research.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Protection Act – sponsored by Sens. Martha McSally (R-AZ), Rick Scott (R-FL), Mike Braun (R-IN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) — seeks to prevent China from stealing or sabotaging American COVID-19 vaccine research.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently issued a warning to American firms to safeguard their research against China and other nations known for stealing U.S. technology. DHS released a statement saying hackers are “actively targeting organizations … that include healthcare bodies, pharmaceutical companies, academia, medical research organizations, and local government.”

The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) also issued a joint statement, warning organizations researching COVID-19 about the potential threat of hackers.

“I know firsthand China doesn’t play fair from building a business for 38 years, and their failure to operate on-the-level regarding COVID-19 has caused untold global devastation,” Braun said. “Requiring a thorough national security evaluation and clearance for those taking part in COVID-19 vaccine research who hold visas from China is a small measure we can take to help ensure the safety of our research efforts.”

Specifically, the legislation would require national security evaluation and clearance by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of State, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of all Chinese student visa holders involved in COVID-19 vaccine research, who are currently in the United States. It also requires the DHS, in consultation with State Department, DOJ, FBI, CISA, and other agencies, to complete an enhanced vetting of Chinese nationals currently in the United States as nonimmigrants under F, J, or M student visas to determine if any student visa holders are a national security threat.

It would also authorize the DHS secretary, in consultation with all the above agencies, to continuously monitor all nonimmigrant student visa holders (F, M, J) who are Chinese nationals and are engaged in activities related to the research of any potential COVID-19 vaccine or COVID-19 related material.

“Our bill aims to protect the United States’ COVID-19 vaccine research from China’s ongoing attempts to steal our science and harm Americans,” McSally said.