American lawmakers on Thursday said they would pitch a bipartisan bill to hammer out a partnership between Israel and the US to treat the COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Senators Ted Cruz (Texas) and Chris Coons (Delaware) released a joint statement saying they plan to push for a $12 million appropriation in the next relief bill, "to enhance partnerships between companies in the United States and Israel to develop innovative medical projects aimed at detecting, treating, and curing COVID-19."
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According to the Jerusalem Post, the bill, titled "Expanding Medical Partnerships with Israel to Lessen Dependence on China Act," says that the US secretary of health and human services could invest up to $4 million annually between 2021 and 2023 in bilateral programs and grants related to the coronavirus.
The proposed budget would cover cooperation on technology such as artificial intelligence, sensors, monitoring devices, drugs and vaccinations, respiratory assist devices, diagnostic tests, telemedicine, and remote monitoring. the report said.
"I've long said that China poses the most significant, long-term geopolitical threat to the United States," Cruz said in a statement. "Our dependence on China for life-saving medications and treatments is deeply problematic."
"Israel is not only our friend and ally but also a global leader in medicine with which we already cooperate on exactly those issues. I'm proud to push forward to ensure both American and Israeli companies can work together to develop cures and treatments to defeat COVID-19," he added.
Senator Coons noted that the US and the Jewish state are "world leaders in the medical technology industry" adding that it was "in the interest of all Americans, Israelis, and the rest of the world that we work together to fight COVID-19.
"This virus knows no borders, and our bill underscores the importance of international collaboration in the face of a truly global pandemic," Coons stressed.
