In a rare instance of bipartisan cooperation, the House of Representatives recently voted in favor of a subcommittee to look into U.S.-China strategic competition with Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) chairing the committee.
House approves special US-#China committee to keep strategic competition high on Congress’s agenda https://t.co/kVUTWIja3X
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Republicans have lamented Chinese influence in the U.S., referring to it as a major concern. The panel’s creation represents the commencement of a vital aspect of the GOP legislative agenda.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has applauded the rare cooperation between Democrats and Republicans in dealing with the potential threat of China. McCarthy described it as an issue beyond party politics and hailed the committee’s creation as the best option to address the problem.
“In Florida, I saw firsthand the dire impact that our reliance on PPE and medical equipment from the CCP had on the safety and health of Floridians and the American people,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) said when announcing his support for the committee.
Moskowitz added that the safety of the American citizens is a priority and never again should the nation depend on others for this primary responsibility.
Lawmakers from both parties have agreed that the security threat posed by Chinese digital and cyber activities is real. The government also passed a law to ban the use of TikTok on government devices to keep the Chinese at arm’s length.
The creation of the select committee also fulfills the long-standing goal of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). The new House speaker has been working to establish a panel that studies China since 2020, but Democrats pulled out of the effort in his initial attempt.
McCarthy said he wants to look at every industry that China has tried to control and where it has been stealing the U.S.’s technology.
