The Republican Recap: Week of September 9, 2024
Protecting American Intellectual Property from Chinese Espionage ✅
For years, the Chinese Communist Party has launched a sweeping campaign to steal U.S. intellectual property through economic espionage and extensive cyber-intrusions, costing American taxpayers up to $500 billion annually. Around 80 percent of cases of economic espionage prosecuted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) have involved the Chinese government and its agents stealing trade secrets, and 60 percent of U.S. trade secret misappropriation cases are linked to the Chinese government.
To combat the Chinese government’s theft of U.S. trade secrets and intellectual property, the Trump Administration’s DOJ created the China Initiative, prosecuting dozens of cases and indicting around 160 individuals and entities. But in 2022, the Biden Harris Administration caved to pressure from woke leftist activists and decided to terminate the China Initiative, resulting in a major decline in new economic espionage cases and putting America’s security at risk.
We cannot ignore the threat China’s economic espionage and efforts to steal trade secrets pose to American innovation, infrastructure, and intellectual property. House Republicans passed legislation to ensure American intellectual property and academic institutions are protected from the Chinese Communist Party’s espionage attempts.
H.R. 1398, the Protect America’s Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act of 2024, introduced by Rep. Lance Gooden, reinstates and renames the China Initiative as the CCP Initiative to counter the CCP and Chinese government’s espionage efforts on U.S. intellectual property and academic institutions, prosecute those who engage in the theft of trade secrets and espionage, and defend U.S. critical infrastructure from threats from our adversaries.
“Passing the Protect America’s Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act is a critical step in curbing intellectual property theft,” said Rep. Lance Gooden. “The Chinese Communist Party continues to ramp up efforts to steal and copy U.S. technological advances. My bill will give federal law enforcement the tools they need to effectively combat the CCP and safeguard American industry.”
What Members Said:
“This bill will reestablish the CCP initiative at the Department of Justice, an effort that was originally established by President Trump, which successfully combated espionage, hacking and theft of American trade secrets. And you know what? It worked,” said Rep. Nick Langworthy. “Under Trump's leadership, we saw 45 individuals convicted or plead guilty to espionage, but in yet another surrender to the woke mob, the Biden-Harris Administration, with zero justification, they shut it down. They shut it down cold.”
Maintaining Sovereignty from the WHO in Pandemic Policy Making ✅
Throughout the devastating COVID-19 crisis, the World Health Organization (WHO) praised China’s ‘transparency’ and handling of the global pandemic while the Chinese Communist Party worked to actively conceal vital health information and data, mislead the world about the seriousness of the pandemic and its origins, and suppress whistleblower journalists and doctors that attempted to warn the world of the outbreak.
As WHO Director-General Tedros touted China’s COVID-19 response and fed the world CCP talking points, internal documents exposed the WHO’s frustration with the Chinese government for refusing to share critical data. In response to the WHO’s deadly dishonesty and failures in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the WHO; however, the Biden Harris Administration rejoined upon assuming office.
Now, the World Health Assembly (WHA) is negotiating a broad convention to define Member States’ responsibilities, preparedness, and response in the event of a future pandemic. This essentially would give the WHO power to dictate future U.S. pandemic policies and response. As the WHO continues to move forward in global negotiations, it is vital the United States maintains its sovereignty, especially when it comes to the health and wellbeing of American citizens.
Rep. Tom Tiffany’s legislation, H.R. 1425, the No WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty Without Senate Approval Act, requires that any agreement reached by the WHA be treated as a treaty, and therefore be ratified by a supermajority of the Senate as outlined in the Constitution.
“It’s deeply concerning that the Biden-Harris administration would even consider signing the World Health Organization’s pandemic treaty. We cannot stand by as they attempt to surrender control of our public health system to unelected bureaucrats at the WHO and the UN. This legislation is essential to protecting our nation’s sovereignty and ensuring that the safety of American citizens remains in the hands of the U.S., not a corrupt international organization,” said Rep. Tom Tiffany.
What Members Said:
Keeping the CCP Out of U.S. Institutions of Higher Education ✅
For years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has worked to spread propaganda and conduct sophisticated espionage around the world, particularly targeting the United States and seeking to infiltrate and exploit America’s classrooms and institutions of higher learning.
One way the Chinese government attempted to do this was to establish Confucius Institutes (CIs) in the U.S. under the guise of promoting Chinese language and culture and advancing cultural exchanges. In reality, these CIs were extensions of the CCP’s influence network meant to conduct espionage in the U.S., impact academic institutions’ decisions, push propaganda, and steal intellectual property and trade secrets.
Today, there are less than five active Confucius Institutes left in the United States; however, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that 43 out of 74 schools surveyed maintain a relationship with an entity that previously supported their CI program. Additionally, many institutions of higher learning are far from transparent in disclosing the assistance they receive from China or other foreign engagement. Between June 2022 and April 2023, the Department of Education found that U.S. universities collected over $3 billion from CCP and PRC linked entities.
H.R. 1516, the DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act, introduced by Rep. August Pfluger, restricts funding to American institutions of higher education (IHE) that maintain a relationship with a Chinese entity of concern or Confucius Institute, making them ineligible to receive any funds from the Department of Homeland Security.
“The Chinese Community Party is utilizing Confucius Institutes to infiltrate American university campuses and engage in espionage, steal intellectual property, intimidate Chinese dissidents, promote communist propaganda, and funnel sensitive information back to the People’s Liberation Army. This bill protects students and universities while ensuring that American dollars are not enabling foreign malign influence,” said Rep. August Pfluger.
What Members Said:
“We must do more to reduce Communist Chinese influence in this country. This bill would withhold funding from universities who partner with the Confucius Institutes and other entities which spread Chinese Communist Party propaganda in our university campuses. Evidence of CCP’s influence is everywhere: They're brainwashing our students, they hijack our medical supply chains, and they flood our communities with fentanyl,” said Rep. Michelle Steel. “In addition to deadly drugs, China is also exporting communism. Our colleges must block this national security threat by cutting remaining ties to the CCP. If they don't, Congress can ensure accountability by passing this bill and blocking their federal funding.”
Ending Chinese EV Dominance and Preventing FEOCs from Receiving Tax Subsidies ✅
In 2022, the Biden Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) created extreme tax subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs), at the expense of American taxpayers. In the bill, there was an effort to ensure those subsidies did not go to foreign entities of concern (FEOC), such as entities with ties to China: EVs that contain battery components or critical minerals sourced from an FEOC are not eligible for a tax subsidy. However, the Biden Harris Administration caved to radical leftist activists and some EV producers, imposing lenient FEOC rules that benefit China.
In 2023, the Commerce Department issued rules that defined an FEOC as an entity with 25 percent or more of the its voting interest, board seats, or equity interest held directly or indirectly by the government of a country of concern, its officials, or any person that is a citizen, national, or resident of such country. Later that year, the Treasury Department defined an FEOC in a similar manner, but with massive loopholes that benefit China.
Treasury created the ‘Billionaire loophole’ by excluding from their FEOC definition “any person that is a citizen, national, or resident,” allowing entities owned by wealthy foreign nationals to benefit from the EV tax credits if their ties to the CCP or other hostile government were unofficial. Additionally, it created the ‘Chinese Manufacturing Loophole’ by defining the battery component in a beneficial manner to China and allowing them to leverage its battery supply chain dominance for credit. We can’t allow FEOCs to receive American tax subsidies while threatening American advanced manufacturing.
Rep. Carol Miller’s legislation, H.R. 7980, the End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles in America Act of 2024, amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude vehicles with batteries that contain materials sourced from foreign entities of concern from the clean vehicle credit, requires the Treasury Department to follow the same definition of FEOC as the Commerce Department, closes the ‘Chinese Billionaire Loophole’ and the ‘Chinese Manufacturing Loophole,’ and expands FEOC limitations.
“The End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles in America Act of 2024 takes steps to ensure that Chinese companies can no longer benefit from Electric Vehicles tax credits meant for U.S manufacturers. The Biden-Harris administration has put out regulations on the electric vehicle tax credit that have excluded some of the inputs used to make EV's, giving China unlimited access to the U.S. supply chain. This is devastating for American manufacturers and our national security. I'm thrilled this bill has passed in the House of Representatives to stop Chinese influence in our supply chain,” said Rep. Carol Miller.
What Members Said:
“Instead of using the critical minerals in our own backyard to compete, the Biden-Harris Administration has put an effective ban on recovering those materials and minerals in the U.S., furthering China's competitive advantage. To make matters worse, pushed by their radical environmentalist base, the Harris-Biden Administration is now using American taxpayer dollars to further China's dominance of the EV market,” said Rep. Jason Smith.
Ensuring America’s National and Food Security From Foreign Land Grabs ✅
Protecting our nation’s food and drug supply and defending America’s food security is a critical aspect of safeguarding Americans’ health and wellbeing. But in the past several years, America’s food security has come under threat from adversaries abroad, like China, as they have increased their purchasing of American farmland.
Over the past decade, Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland has quintupled, increasing from 69,000 acres in 2011 to around 384,000 acres in 2021. Not only does this pose a growing risk to our food security, but Chinese corporations have also purchased or attempted to purchase land close to air force and military bases, threatening our national security. We cannot allow foreign adversaries to gain control over America’s farmland and food supply, or grab land near U.S. military installations.
House Republicans passed legislation that supports the country’s food security and national security, combating foreign adversaries’ attempts to buy up America’s farmland by improving the tracking of foreign owned land and requiring the Secretary of Agriculture to be included in the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to review agricultural transactions and purchases made by these adversaries.
H.R. 9456, the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024, introduced by Rep. Dan Newhouse, amends the Defense Production Act of 1950 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to be included on CFIUS for agriculture-related issues, and requires CFIUS to review and potentially block purchases of farmland by foreign adversaries that pose a national security risk.
“This week, the United States took a stand against one of our greatest foreign adversaries, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),” said Rep. Dan Newhouse. “The CCP has been quietly purchasing American agricultural land at an alarming rate, and this bill is a crucial step towards reversing that trend. We know that USDA’s foreign purchase tracking is wildly flawed, and by adding the Secretary of Agriculture to CFIUS, we can begin to correct course. Food security is national security, and it is incumbent upon us to keep our adversaries far away from the lands that feed our country, and the world.”
What Members Said:
“According to the USDA, as of 2022, foreign individuals held an interest in over 43 million acres of U.S. Ag land. For context, 43 million acres is larger than the state of Florida and greater than the total land area of 29 U.S. states. Between December of ‘21 and December of ‘22, privately held foreign Ag land increased by more than 3 million acres and now accounts for 3.4 percent of all privately held agricultural lands in the U.S. This is a real problem and is growing. Our nation's land is linked to our national security, our food supply, and energy resources,” said Rep. Mike Flood. “Let me be clear: foreign Ag land ownership is a national security issue, and it should be treated as such. Over the last several years, we've all experienced firsthand the detrimental impact food and energy supply chain disruptions can have on our communities. Therefore, it's simply common sense that we pass this bill to expand CFIUS and better address this ongoing threat.”
Distribution channels: U.S. Politics
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