Confronting the growing threat of the Chinese Communist Party

Over the past two years, as a member of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, we have uncovered the malign influence the CCP has in American institutions. With these revelations, we have committed to finding real, actionable solutions to prevent the CCP from tightening their grip on our nation’s security and way of life.

The Select Committee has exposed numerous CCP schemes aimed at undermining our national security. From increased land purchases near sensitive sites to directly incentivizing the illicit fentanyl trade, the CCP is one of the greatest threats to our nation. Standing strong against them is imperative, which is why the House of Representatives has passed over 25 pieces of necessary legislation to safeguard our military, economic, ideological, and technological interests, including legislation I wrote to protect American agricultural land. We also passed several bills which originated directly from the Select Committee, reflecting the policy recommendations we have been developing since last year.

Securing our supply chains — from electric vehicle batteries to healthcare and critical infrastructure — is essential. As the CCP works to ensure the United States is dependent on Chinese companies for the products we use daily, I proudly supported legislation like the BIOSECURE Act, which would prohibit United States companies from using biotechnology from companies associated with foreign adversaries like the CCP. We also passed the End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles in America Act and the Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act, both of which take steps to protect taxpayer dollars from being used by the CCP to advance its leverage over our supply chains.

As we know, the CCP has also increased their investment in U.S. agricultural land tenfold, which raises serious concerns about their growing influence over our food security. To address this, the House of Representatives passed my bill, the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act, which adds the Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. for transactions and requires them to report any updates that could be a threat to national security. This issue is part of a broader pattern of economic influence that the CCP exerts on vital American industries, and the federal government must stay aware.

Where we see the CCP’s strongest grip on global resources and our supply chains is through critical mineral production — an industry essential to electric vehicles and lithium batteries. With China controlling the vast majority of mineral resources needed for battery manufacturing, I introduced legislation to promote U.S. production of these critical minerals. The Securing America’s Midstream Critical Materials Processing Act establishes a framework to bring critical material processing back to American soil, away from foreign adversaries like the CCP, and reduces the unworkable permitting barriers to help secure supply chains. The United States produces energy cleaner and more cost-effective than anywhere else, and this bill would allow us to end our dependence on an adversary that could bring this industry to a halt at any time.

The CCP’s campaign of malign influence poses a direct threat to American industry, jobs, and national security, and it is past time we take decisive action. By relying heavily on a nation intent on weakening the United States, we expose ourselves to unprecedented threats. I will continue advancing policies that will decouple our supply chains from our greatest adversary and ensure our nation is not beholden to those who oppose our values and way of life.