WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott released the below statement following the Justice Department’s indictment of two Chinese hackers for stealing hundreds of millions of dollars of trade secrets from companies across the world and more recently targeting firms developing a vaccine for the coronavirus.

In May, Senator Scott led his colleagues in introducing the COVID-19 Vaccine Protection Act to prevent Communist China from stealing or sabotaging American COVID-19 vaccine research. The bill requires a thorough national security evaluation and clearance by the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation of all Chinese student visa holders taking part in activities related to COVID-19 vaccine research.

Senator Rick Scott said, “I am glad the Justice Department is taking action to protect American research from Communist China. For months, I’ve been warning about Communist China’s attempts to steal or sabotage American vaccine efforts, and today’s announcement demonstrates the reality of this threat. Communist China’s lies and misinformation led to the spread of the coronavirus, and now they want to inhibit our recovery. We can’t allow that, which is why I introduced the COVID-19 Vaccine Protection Act. I’m disappointed Senate Democrats blocked this bill from passing last month, even as American lives depend on the rapid development of this vaccine. We all need to open our eyes to the threat of this Communist nation that refuses to be an honest partner.”

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