The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is making significant headway in lobbying Congress to pass a new bill that would deepen coronavirus cooperation with Israel while pushing China out of the way. 

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., both introduced respective versions of the bill in the Senate and the House last month. The House version is dubbed the “Expanding Medical Partnerships with Israel to Lessen Dependence on China Act.” AIPAC has issued a series of action alerts asking its activists to call their lawmakers in support of the bill in recent weeks.

“Our dependence on China for life-saving medications and treatments is deeply problematic,” Cruz said in a statement upon introducing the legislation. “We’re now seeing the leader of the Chinese Communist Party — in the midst of a public health crisis they allowed to go global and endanger millions — threaten to withhold life-saving medical supplies and medications from the United States. By expanding partnerships with Israel — an ally and a global leader in medicine — to develop coronavirus treatments, this legislation is a common-sense step to address that threat.” 

While Republicans have aggressively highlighted China’s apparent threat in March to halt pharmaceutical exports to the United States as the impetus for the bill, Senate Democrats have instead opted to focus on the need to strengthen US-Israeli cooperation in fighting the pandemic.