CHINA WEEK UPDATE: Congress Takes on the Chinese Communist Party

September 10, 2024

WASHINGTON DC — Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party helped usher in 'China Week,' as the House of Representatives today began votes on crucial legislation to protect Americans against the military, economic, ideological, and technological threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party.

Continue reading below for more information on key legislation that the House of Representatives passed today to defend the United States from mounting threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party.

BIOSECURE ACT PASSES

WATCH: Chairman Moolenaar speaks in favor of the BIOSECURE Act on the House Floor. "It is Congress’s constitutional duty to write national security laws, and that includes the authority to investigate and name foreign-adversary-controlled companies in law because of the threat they pose to national security. And make no mistake: BGI, WuXi AppTec, and Wuxi Biologics all pose unacceptable threats to national security. The evidence is clear and available to all Members."

An overwhelming bipartisan majority passed the BIOSECURE Act, a bill to protect Americans' genetic data and U.S. firms from predatory CCP-backed biotechnology companies. The bill targets Chinese military company, BGI Genomics, and CCP-aligned biotechnology companies Wuxi AppTec and Wuxi Biologics, and codified the companies as foreign adversary biotechnology companies and deems them ineligible for certain federal contracts. The bill was sponsored by Chairman Moolenaar, Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), and Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH).

Following the BIOSECURE Act's passage, Chairman Moolenaar said, "The House just sent a powerful, bipartisan message to the Chinese Communist Party: the United States will not sit idly by while the CCP steals our genetic data and seeks to control our biotech supply chains. I encourage my colleagues in the Senate to expeditiously pass the BIOSECURE Act and protect Americans from this growing threat.”

Read the BIOSECURE Act HERE.

COUNTERING CCP DRONES ACT PASSES

WATCH: Chairman Moolenaar speaks in favor of the Countering CCP Drones Act on the House Floor. "DJI poses a real national security risk to the US given its deep partnership with the Chinese military, its expressed allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party, and its surveillance technology operating across U.S. soil."

The House passed the Countering CCP Drones Act, which places Chinese military drone company, DJI, on the FCC's Covered List, thereby prohibiting future DJI models from being approved and operating in the United States. Chairman Moolenaar sponsored the bill alongside Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY).

Following the Countering CCP Drones Act's passage, Chairman Moolenaar said, "I am proud to see the House take decisive action to protect Americans from the national security threat posed by Chinese military-linked drones flying in U.S. skies and spying on our neighborhoods. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to quickly take up the Countering CCP Drones Act and send it to the President’s desk.”

Read the Countering CCP Drones Act HERE.

DECOUPLING FROM FOREIGN ADVERSARIAL BATTERY DEPENDENCE ACT PASSES

WATCH: Chairman Moolenaar speaks in favor of the Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act. "There is indisputable evidence that two CCP-aligned battery makers, Gotion and CATL, are deeply connected to forced labor and the ongoing genocide in China. Gotion and CATL plan to build factories in the United States and thereby grow our dependence on their slave labor tainted supply chains."

The House passed the Decoupling From Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act, which forbids the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from procuring batteries from six companies owned and operated in China: Gotion, BYD, CATL, Envision, EVE, and Hithium. Chairman Moolenaar co-sponsored the bill alongside Select Committee member Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) and Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-TN).

Following the bill's passage, Chairman Moolenaar said, “I am proud to have worked alongside Select Committee Member Carlos Gimenez and Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green in passing the Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act. Our government should never buy batteries sourced from companies beholden to the CCP. We cannot be dependent on our foremost adversary, and we must ensure the CCP can never profit from its genocide and human rights abuses.”

Read the Decoupling From Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act HERE.

COUNTERING THE PRC MALIGN INFLUENCE FUND AUTHORIZATION ACT

The House passed the Countering the PRC Malign Influence Fund Authorization Act, a bill that authorizes funding for the State Department to work with allies, partners, and other nations to counter the CCP's malign influence and dept-diplomacy. Select Committee Member Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) sponsored the bill.

Following the bill's passage, Chairman Moolenaar said, "The U.S. needs more effective and agile tools to better compete with the Chinese Communist Party around the world. As the Select Committee endorsed in its economic and technology competition report, Rep. Barr’s critical legislation will strengthen the State Department’s Countering the PRC Malign Influence Fund and better enable it to successfully advance American interests abroad. My thanks to Rep. Barr for his relentless leadership on this issue.”

Read the Countering The PRC Malign Influence Fund Authorization Act HERE.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AGREEMENT ENHANCED CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION ACT

The House passed the Science and Technology Agreement Enhanced Congressional Notification, a bill that requires the Department of State to notify Congress at least 30 days ahead of any science and technology agreements with China. Select Committee Member Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) sponsored the bill.

Following the bill's passage, Chairman Moolenaar said, "The U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement is a bad idea whose time is past. Rep. Barr’s important legislation would advance congressional oversight and mandate clear guardrails to protect our national security and economic prosperity. The Select Committee included this critical legislation in our December economic and technology competition report, and I am grateful for Rep. Barr’s leadership in advancing this bill out of the House.”

Read the Science and Technology Agreement Enhanced Congressional Notification Act HERE.

The House passed a number of other critical pieces of legislation to defend the United States from the Chinese Communist Party including: