The Select: A Weekly Committee Recap (Week of 5/6/24)

May 10, 2024

Welcome to The Select, a weekly newsletter on the work of the Congressional Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party led by Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI).

See below for this week's updates.

Moolenaar, Wicker, Foxx Launch Investigation into Georgia Tech for Partnership with Blacklisted Chinese Military-Linked University

WATCH: Chairman Moolenaar's summary of Select Committee Investigation into Georgia Institute of Technology. (Click HERE for a transcript of the video)

As first reported by Reuters, on Thursday, Chairman Moolenaar launched his first investigation as Chairman alongside Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-MS) of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, demanding answers from Georgia Tech regarding its partnership with Tianjin University, a Chinese university with significant ties to the Chinese military, the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Click HERE to read the lawmakers' letter.

Moolenaar Rubio, Lawmakers, Warn About Pentagon's 'Alarming Lack of Urgency' to Address Indo-Pacific U.S. Bases Vulnerability

Today, Chairman Moolenaar joined Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi, and Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) to introduce the bipartisan BIOSECURE Act, a bill to ensure American patient data and taxpayer dollars do not fall into the hands of foreign adversaries' biotechnology companies of concern by prohibiting Federal contracting with these companies. This legislation builds on earlier efforts in the 118th Congress.

The Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) national security laws require all Chinese firms to share any requested data with the CCP, including biotechnology companies that collect, test, and store American genomic data. Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI), a company in the People's Republic of China (PRC), has collected DNA from millions around the world and used that data without consent on genomic projects conducted by the Chinese military. Chinese company WuXi AppTec has sponsored events with China's military, reportedly stolen U.S. intellectual property, and jointly operated genetic collection sites with China's military. Chinese biotechnology companies also have alarming ties to the ongoing genocide of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China.

The text of BIOSECURE Act can be found HERE.

Original co-sponsors include: Neal Dunn (R-FL), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Seth Moulton (D-MA), and Don Davis (D-NC).

Moolenaar Rubio, Lawmakers, Warn About Pentagon's 'Alarming Lack of Urgency' to Address Indo-Pacific U.S. Bases Vulnerability

As first reported by Fox News, on Wednesday, Chairman Moolenaar, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and colleagues wrote to Air Force and Navy leaders, expressing concerns that U.S. military bases may not be able to defend against growing Chinese military threats. In the letter, the lawmakers highlight preliminary research showing that over the past decade, China built more than 400 hardened aircraft shelters while the United States built just 22 in the Indo-Pacific.

Hardened aircraft shelters are reinforced hangars used to protect military aircraft and will be critical as the United States looks to safeguard its assets in the Indo-Pacific.

Chairman Moolenaar and Senator Rubio were joined by Select Committee members Reps. Rob Wittman (R-VA), Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO), Andy Barr (R-KY), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), John LaHood (R-IL), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Jim Banks (R-IN), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Michelle Steel (R-CA), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), and Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) in seeking immediate action from Pentagon leaders.

View the lawmakers full letter to the Pentagon HERE.

Chairman Moolenaar on TikTok Suing the USG Over the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act

Tuesday, Chairman Moolenaar released a statement on reports that TikTok sued the U.S. government to stop the enforcement of the Protecting American From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.

“Congress and the Executive Branch have concluded, based on both publicly available and classified information, that TikTok poses a grave risk to national security and the American people. It is telling that TikTok would rather spend its time, money, and effort fighting in court than solving the problem by breaking up with the CCP. I’m confident that our legislation will be upheld.”