Daines Remained Silent as Trump Administration Shipped Crucial PPE to China

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 22, 2020

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Daines Remained Silent as Trump Administration Shipped Crucial PPE to China
 

Helena, MT – Senator Steve Daines has made a lot of noise about the need to hold China accountable for its response to the coronavirus outbreak — yet he remained silent as the Trump Administration shipped tons of personal protective equipment and other medical supplies to China earlier this year.

Senator Daines claims that he is holding China accountable, despite his recent glowing praise of the Chinese government’s response to the pandemic. Daines said “the Chinese government aggressively worked to contain [the coronavirus outbreak]” and looked back fondly on his time in business in China — “I spent a lot of time in China back in the 90s, in fact I spent some time living in Guangzhou.” The admiration is mutual — the Chinese Ambassador to the United States called Senator Daines “China’s ambassador in Congress.”

As Washington faces increasing scrutiny for failing to adequately prepare for the crisis, Daines has resorted to finger pointing rather than actually fighting to get Montanans the resources they need to cope with the pandemic.

Daines pushed for a Paycheck Protection Program bill without any funding to increase testing capacity or support struggling hospitals across the country and in Montana. He voted for an amendment that would have capped unemployment benefits for out-of-work Montanans, while at the same time supporting a $500 billion corporate slush fund without adequate oversight. Daines and Senate Republicans also slipped a massive tax giveaway for millionaires into the must-pass legislation, but failed to speak out for rural hospitals across the country and in Montana that have struggled to stay afloat.