In a sobering revelation, a new report from the Heritage Foundation highlights the staggering economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on the United States, estimating the cost at $18 trillion. The report also underscores the need for a nonpartisan commission to investigate the pandemic’s origins and impacts and hold China accountable for its role in the global crisis. OneShared.World founder Jamie Metzl recently sat down with ‘The Bottom Line’ to discuss the economic cost of the COVID-19 pandemic. Let’s look at what they had to say.

The $18 Trillion Price Tag

The 18 Trillion Price Tag
Image Credit: Fox Business

According to Jamie Metzl, founder of OneShared.World and a former National Security Council and State Department official, the $18 trillion figure encompasses a wide range of costs. “We looked at the number of lives lost, careers interrupted, and healthcare expenses,” Metzl explained on Fox News’ ‘The Bottom Line.’ The methodology employed actuarial formulas commonly used by the U.S. government, leading to the eye-popping total.

Holding China Accountable

Holding China Accountable
Image Credit: Fox Business

A key recommendation of the report is to hold the Chinese government liable for the damages caused by what it describes as Chinese negligence. Metzl emphasized the importance of accountability, stating, “If there is no accountability for what happened, there is no reason to expect that China or other authoritarian states would act differently in the future.”

Legal Challenges and Sovereign Immunity
Image Credit: Fox Business

Dagen McDowell, co-host of ‘The Bottom Line,’ questioned the feasibility of extracting compensation from China. Metzl acknowledged the complexity of the issue, highlighting the need for legal reforms. “We propose amending the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976, similar to the 2016 amendment that allowed for suing foreign governments and companies for terrorist financing,” Metzl said. This amendment would enable U.S. courts to assert jurisdiction over Chinese assets, opening the door for mass tort litigation.

The Chinese Cover-Up

The Chinese Cover Up
Image Credit: Fox Business

Metzl, who has been tracking the pandemic’s origins since early 2020, reiterated his belief that the most likely origin of COVID-19 is a research-related incident in Wuhan. Regardless of the exact source, he pointed to an unprecedented Chinese cover-up as the primary factor that allowed the virus to spread globally. “China must be held accountable for this massive cover-up,” he asserted.

Bipartisan Support

Bipartisan Support
Image Credit: Green Building Elements

Interestingly, Metzl highlighted that the call for holding China accountable has garnered bipartisan support. “I’m a liberal Democrat, and we have people from across the political spectrum, both Democrats and Republicans, working together on this issue,” he said. This unity underscores the widespread agreement on the need for accountability.

Potential Remedies

Potential Remedies
Image Credit: Green Building Elements

One potential remedy discussed in the report involves targeting Chinese property in the United States as a means of obtaining compensation. “If China can just get away with this, the playbook for a future pandemic would be to do exactly what they have done,” Metzl warned, stressing the need for preventive measures to avoid even worse outcomes in the future.

Preventing Future Pandemics

Preventing Future Pandemics
Image Credit: Green Building Elements

Metzl also drew parallels with the current border crisis, suggesting that failing to address the pandemic’s origins and consequences could lead to more severe crises. “The second pandemic could be a border crisis with hundreds of thousands of American lives at stake,” he cautioned.

Moving Forward

Moving Forward 4
Image Credit: Green Building Elements

The report’s recommendations are far-reaching, aiming to reform international laws and policies to prevent future pandemics and hold responsible parties accountable. As the world grapples with the long-term impacts of COVID-19, such measures could be crucial in ensuring global health security.

“It Cost More than That”

It Cost More than That
Image Credit: Green Building Elements

People in the comments shared their thoughts and opinions: “It cost more than that. It cost people their lives, their health and their jobs.”

One commenter added: “This was a wealth transfer from taxpayers to private corporations.  In the old days, it would have been called racketeering, collusion, and corruption.”

Another person said: “Was it worth it? No! Call me heartless, but we should have kept working like business as usual!  I worked the whole pandemic, and survived, only… Say otherwise about survival, your immunity levels would rise just by working out? This must never happen again!”

A Call for Unity

A Call for Unity
Image Credit: Green Building Elements

Despite political divisions, the issue of holding China accountable for the pandemic’s devastation is one that unites Americans. As Metzl noted, “There are issues that divide us, but there is a lot that unites us as Americans, and certainly holding China accountable for this pandemic is one of those things.”

Accountability and Justice

Accountability and Justice
Image Credit: Green Building Elements

What do you think? What legal and diplomatic challenges exist in holding a foreign government accountable for global health crises, and how can these be overcome? How can nations better prepare economically for future pandemics to mitigate the financial devastation seen with COVID-19? What international policies should be implemented to ensure transparency and rapid response in future global health emergencies?

Find out more by watching the full video on Fox Business’ YouTube channel here.